{"id":223074,"date":"2025-10-02T15:25:09","date_gmt":"2025-10-03T01:25:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=223074"},"modified":"2025-10-02T15:25:09","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T01:25:09","slug":"advanced-manufacturing-initiative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2025\/10\/02\/advanced-manufacturing-initiative\/","title":{"rendered":"UH<\/abbr>\u2019s advanced manufacturing initiative prepares workforce, strengthens economy"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

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The University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> is spearheading an advanced manufacturing initiative aimed at transforming the state\u2019s economic vulnerabilities into opportunities for growth, resilience and workforce development.<\/p>\n

“For an island state like Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>, given our finite resources, limited manufacturing footprint and heavy dependency on imports, the onus is high for Â鶹´«Ã½to work with our industry partners to help provide the cutting-edge research and a knowledge-based workforce in \u2018point-of-need\u2019 manufacturing for the benefit of both our civilian and military communities,” said UH<\/abbr> Mānoa Interim Provost Vassilis L. Syrmos.<\/p>\n

At UH<\/abbr> Mānoa, the College of Engineering<\/a> is leading the initiative, which combines design, material science, 3D<\/abbr> printing, corrosion testing and robotics.<\/p>\n

“A lot is going on in this space right now, and while it\u2019s generating a lot of excitement around town, there\u2019s also a lot of movement in different directions,” said Dean Brennon Morioka. “That\u2019s why it\u2019s important that we develop a coordinated and shared vision that is centered around an ecosystem that is consistent and transferable across all stakeholders.”<\/p>\n

Morioka is relying on four key faculty members to move the initiative forward: Associate Professors Tyler Ray and Joseph Brown, and Professors Lloyd Hihara and Zachary Trimble.<\/p>\n

Wearable sensors, aerospace assemblies, more<\/h2>\n
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Professors Lloyd Hihara and Zac Trimble, Associate Professors Joseph Brown and Tyler Ray<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ray has championed additive manufacturing since joining UH<\/abbr> in 2019, weaving it into undergraduate courses and research. His lab develops 3D<\/abbr> printed wearable sensors for health monitoring, new battery technologies and is home to one of the world\u2019s highest-resolution bioprinters.<\/p>\n

“For Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>, advanced manufacturing is more than just an economic opportunity. It\u2019s about building resilience amidst geographic isolation,” Ray said.<\/p>\n

Brown integrates materials characterization, mechanical design and advanced fabrication to create resilient structures, from aerospace assemblies to nanometer-thin sensors.<\/p>\n

“The initiative represents a major opportunity for UH<\/abbr> and the state to not just match what others are doing, but to carve out our own unique approach,” Brown said.<\/p>\n

Hihara\u2019s corrosion research leverages Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>\u2019s diverse climates for testing and will expand with new fabrication technology. Trimble, an expert in precision machine design, helps transition basic research into applied research.<\/p>\n

First advanced manufacturing training center<\/h2>\n
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As part of the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard Apprentice Program, Honolulu CC<\/abbr> staff tour the facilities at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility. (Photo credit: Claudia Lamantia, U.S. Navy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Honolulu Community College<\/a> launched Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>\u2019s first advanced manufacturing training center<\/a> to support Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, private ship repair facilities and active duty military.<\/p>\n

“Our goal is to create an advanced manufacturing ecosystem with seamless skill sets and technology that can be used throughout Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> and across different industry sectors,” said Honolulu CC<\/abbr> Chancellor Karen Lee.<\/p>\n

Read more on UH<\/abbr>\u2019s advanced manufacturing vision and its role in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>\u2019s future in this Noelo<\/em> story<\/a>. Noelo<\/em> is UH<\/abbr>\u2019s research magazine from the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The College of Engineering is leading the initiative, which combines design, material science, 3D<\/abbr> printing, corrosion testing and robotics.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":223075,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[179,182,62,1505,1467,1363,158,9],"class_list":["post-223074","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research","tag-college-of-engineering","tag-engineering","tag-honolulu-community-college","tag-innovation","tag-manoa-excellence-in-research","tag-manoa-research","tag-publication","tag-uh-manoa","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t