Austin Community College
Innovative Manufacturing Prototype Acceleration Central Texas (IMPACT) Lab
Austin, TX
i6 Challenge
Federal Share: $750,000.00
Local Match: $817,683.00
Austin Community College’s Innovative Manufacturing Prototype Acceleration Central Texas (IMPACT) Lab will build a strong ecosystem of innovative, digital-ready small and midsize manufactures prepared to disrupt the manufacturing sector. The Austin manufacturing industry employs over 57,000 people. However, there is significant underinvestment in manufacturing innovation. Austin’s manufacturing employment is roughly one-fifth the size of Dallas and Houston. The next wave of manufacturing will require a paradigm shift to advanced digital firms which Austin is uniquely qualified to capture.
IMPACT Lab is Austin’s first innovation center focused on physical product development and manufacturing. This initiative is modeled after the Austin Bioscience Incubator (ABI), a cluster innovation collaboration between Austin Community College (ACC), Austin Technology Incubator (ATI), the City of Austin, and industry stakeholders. These partners have a history of success in innovative economic development and ecosystem building. IMPACT Lab fosters connections between manufacturers, college graduates, university researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors. By galvanizing these connections, IMPACT Lab ensures that the region’s manufacturing industry continues to grow, lead, and reduce the cost and barriers to entry for physical product innovation.