A technology and training hub focused on accelerating the commercial adoption of advanced clean power is coming to Columbus.

Columbus City Council members finalized a contribution redevelopment is making of more than $1 million in workforce development funding towards a nonprofit known as the Advanced Machine and Vehicle Innovation Center (AMVIC).

AMVIC will be located at the Analytical Engineering, Inc (AEI) facility known as The Rock at 983 S. Marr Road, and aims to advance clean power for mobile and stationary machines and their supporting infrastructure.

That will be accomplished through what AMVIC board member Cathy Choi called a “three-legged stool,” comprised of workforce development to train people in emerging technologies; the facilities and equipment required for research and development; along with associated tech incubation spin-offs.

AMVIC will establish an in-person instruction and virtual learning center, as well as develop curriculum for the center.

The non-profit is made up of and supported by representatives from several local companies, including LHP Engineering Solutions, AEI, Forvia, Toyota Material Handling and Cummins. It’s also being supported by the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce and a host of educational institutions including Purdue Polytechnic Columbus, Ivy Tech Columbus, Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. and the Community Education Coalition.

AMVIC is being funded with $7 million in private funding, including $3 million contributed by LHP, AEI, Forvia, Purdue Polytechnic and Aptiv, among others, $1 million in Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) 2.0 dollars and the proposed $1.07 million from redevelopment.

Technical training that will be offered at AMVIC, tech incubation projects and membership income is expected to generate another $4 million to pair with the contributions from local companies. All together, the non-profit launch encompasses about $9.1 million in expected funds.

The $1.07 million is to be spent from 2025 to 2030, mostly on equipment and for local instructors, according to a pie chart presented to council members.

David Glass, the CEO of LHP Engineering Solutions and a board member of AMVIC, said LHP was looking to expand their testing capabilities a couple of years ago and during that process found that a number of local companies “have extra capacity and assets that can be utilized in the clean energy space and advance our economy.” That was the “genesis” for AMVIC, Glass said.

Ben Wrightsman, who also sits on the AMVIC board, led Greene County’s Battery Innovation Center (BIC) when it started and said AMVIC will be modeled after it.

“After that first year, we (BIC) went from a Department of Defense-facing asset to a commercial asset,” Wrightsman said. “Which took us from about six clients, one of which was mostly (Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division), to 600 clients when I left.”

What the hub will result in, AMVIC officials said, is a higher wage base, growing tax base, but also innovation.

“We expect AMVIC to be a magnet not only for OEMs, engine manufacturers and battery manufacturers, but also startups, research institutions and schools,” AEI COO Katrina Karch said. “We expect that to really benefit local companies like LHP, AEI and Cummins in that we will be bringing new customers into our businesses, creating new relationships and keeping us on the cutting edge of technology as well.”

AMVIC currently has two employees, but that is expected to grow to 40 by 2030. In addition, AMVIC officials said they expect employment of their partners to grow by about 10% through opportunities offered at AMVIC.

AMVIC will provide annual reports to private and public partners to show the outcome of their investments, Choi said.

The initiative comes as major local employers including Cummins are transitioning from the production of internal combustion engines to alternative energy technologies.
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