MI2 Project Updates

The Metals Innovation Initiative is excited to have several initiatives and projects currently getting off the ground.

These projects are being accomplished with great participation from our industry members as well as our strategic partners in government, education, economic development, and elsewhere in our ecosystem.

Here is a preview of some of those initiatives currently getting off the ground:

• MI2 has partnered with the University of Louisville’s Center for Organizational Readiness towards Enterprise 4.0 (CORE 4.0) alongside the Western Kentucky University Innovation Campus and the Louisville Healthcare CEO Council in getting a U.S. Economic Development Administration grant to pursue projects around preparing companies and workforces for smart and connected technologies. MI2 is currently working with collaborators to support pilot projects, about which we look forward to sharing further information in future updates.
• In partnership with the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, MI2 is exploring a Bus to Business initiative that will help metals companies host groups of students to build relationships with emerging talent and to showcase the emerging technologies–and related potential career paths–in the Kentucky metals industry.
• We are developing materials and storytelling to engage high school and middle school audiences on the jobs of the futures with Kentucky metals companies. An early test of those messages will come with MI2’s participation with an activity table at IdeaFestival Bowling Green, a Feb. 16th event at Western Kentucky University organized by the WKU Center for Gifted Studies which will attract 750+ Kentucky high school/middle school students to be inspired by potential future-facing career pathways.
• Temple University’s Fox School of Business is working with our core team and the Talent and Workforce strategy group as we identify and plan for talent and workforce empowerment.
• Our team is currently making plans for a Factory of the Future conference, with the goal to bring together metals companies, other advanced manufacturing companies in the Kentucky ecosystem, and our strategic partners to consider how emerging technologies and changing ways of working will impact the future of the Kentucky metals ecosystem. More updates to come on that front in future monthly updates.