US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and other Department of Energy (DOE) officials have launched Savannah River National Laboratory’s (SRNL’s) new Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative (AMC) on the campus of the University of South Carolina Aiken (USC Aiken).
DOE said this represents a new era of collaboration between government, academia and industry. The 63,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility provides modern laboratory, office and conference facilities designed to foster innovation in advanced manufacturing in areas such as additive manufacturing, artificial intelligence-driven automation, and novel materials for fusion energy, energy resilience and nuclear applications.
“The Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative will bring the expertise of the Department of Energy’s national labs together with innovators from academia and the private sector with one shared goal: to unleash America’s energy potential,” Wright said.
SRNL will operate the facility, serving as a catalyst to attract new technology and manufacturing to the region, as well as build a pipeline of talent to support the Savannah River Site mission and regional manufacturing growth. The AMC also provides a platform for public-private partnerships, supporting DOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) and broader Departmental mission objectives while creating jobs, spurring innovation and maximising the reach of industry in South Carolina.
“The Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative is more than a building – it is a bold step toward redefining how SRNL works with the best of American industry and academia to solve our nation’s most pressing energy and security challenges,” said SRNL Director Johney Green. “We are grateful to everyone across the Department, the University of South Carolina-Aiken, our partners and dedicated laboratory staff for making this vision a reality.”
USC Aiken Chancellor Daniel Heimmermann emphasised the educational impact of the facility during the ceremony. He thanked the Aiken County Commission for Higher Education for locating AMC on the USC Aiken campus and bringing together academia, industry and the national laboratories across the manufacturing sectors.
“I look forward to working with all of you to harness that potential in a community that has played a key role in our security, science and energy missions for so many decades,” EM Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Roger Jarrell said. “This facility will help produce a pipeline of talent to support the Savannah River Site mission and regional manufacturing for decades to come.”
