UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Invent Penn State recently received $300,000 in federal funding for Industry 4.0 technical training as well as an entrepreneurship digital training program.

The funding, which was supported by U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., will specifically support educational programming focused on Industry 4.0 workforce development and entrepreneurial training for rural business founders.

“I was proud to secure $300,000 from the fiscal year 2023 spending bill for Penn State’s Industry 4.0 initiative to economically empower central Pennsylvania’s workforce while bolstering the region’s manufacturing capability,” said Casey. “Workforce development and skills training are a core part of what makes the American worker the best in the world. When we invest in our workforce, the American economy grows, and everyone benefits.”

Since its inception, Invent Penn State has continuously increased its capacity to provide no-cost entrepreneurial and technical training though the LaunchBox & Innovation Network and its accompanying services offered throughout the state.

With 21 locations, Invent Penn State currently has a LaunchBox or innovation space located within 30 miles of 96% of Pennsylvania residents, opening access to a host of services, programs and assistance that spur economic growth, create jobs and support businesses throughout Pennsylvania communities.

“We are grateful for the continued support of Sen. Casey and his quest to further education within our commonwealth, especially focused on training and workforce development,” said Lora Weiss, senior vice president for research at Penn State. “His vision aligns directly with our initiatives to develop entrepreneurial expertise as part of Penn State's land-grant mission.”

The technical training for Industry 4.0 will take place at OriginLabs, which provides students, faculty and community entrepreneurs with access to cutting-edge machinery and the latest in rapid prototyping technology.

The facility, located within the Eric J. Barron Innovation Hub in State College, encompasses roughly 7,000 square feet across two floors and allows users to design, prototype and test potential solutions for their startups. The well-appointed facilities give users access to a breadth of materials and methodologies for production, including woodworking, metalworking, digital fabrication and additive manufacturing.

The technical training, which will be led by OriginLabs Director Ryan Mandell, will take the form of free workshops focused on advanced manufacturing techniques utilizing the full array of equipment and technologies available at OriginLabs.

Content for the training will be developed by a group of community and industry partners, including SEDA-COG, Ben Franklin Technology Partners, the Penn State Small Business Development Center, regional manufacturers, and Invent Penn State.

“We envision OriginLabs collaborating closely with our regional workforce development partners to enhance Industry 4.0 training opportunities in central Pennsylvania. We will also plug directly into our existing statewide LaunchBox & Innovation Network, acting as a prototyping and training resource for innovators and manufacturers across the state,” said Mandell. “Thanks to the support from Sen. Casey, this federal funding will allow us to support the modernization of regional manufacturing capabilities with new training opportunities, as well as ensure our region has a future-ready workforce.”

Learn more about how to get involved with OriginLabs programming.

In addition to the Industry 4.0 technical training, the funding also will go toward a digital entrepreneurship training program for rural founders led by Lee Erickson, associate director of economic development and student programs at Invent Penn State.

Erickson will create a digital curriculum of self-guided entrepreneurship education as an engagement and activation vehicle for rural early-stage entrepreneurs. Invent Penn State, along with regional partners, also will offer virtual and live one-on-one coaching.

“One key challenge aspiring rural entrepreneurs face, over their more urban counterparts, is access to support and critical business resources,” said Erickson. “We are grateful that Sen. Casey pushed for this crucial funding so that we can better serve entrepreneurs across Pennsylvania by expanding the reach of our educational materials, as well as of our network resources. Building self-guided digital programming means entrepreneurs can work at their own pace, and also take advantage of our network of coaches to help them de-risk and accelerate their ideas.”

About Invent Penn State

Invent Penn State is a commonwealth-wide initiative to spur economic development, job creation and student career success. Invent Penn State blends entrepreneurship-focused academic programs, business startup training and incubation, funding for commercialization, and university/community/industry collaborations to facilitate the challenging process of turning research discoveries into valuable products and services that can benefit Pennsylvanians and humankind.