Center Aims to Stimulate State and National Manufacturing Competitiveness and Jobs
EWI launched a first-of-its-kind Rail Manufacturing Technology Center from its headquarters in Columbus, Ohio. The mission of the Center is to develop and strengthen manufacturing supply chains for the rail and rolling stock industries, improve railroad product affordability, and develop technical innovations that will allow railroad manufacturers to collaborate effectively with OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and deliver a new wave of manufacturing job opportunities at the state and national level.
Establishing the Rail Manufacturing Technology Center is a strategic move by EWI based on data predicting that passenger rail service will experience strong national and international growth in the coming decades, driving the need for new and improved passenger rail equipment and infrastructure.
Launched by a start-up grant from the Ohio Department of Development (ODOD), the Rail Manufacturing Technology Center intends to assist Ohio manufacturers in securing a leading share of the emerging passenger rail market and in exploiting the capabilities of underutilized manufacturing plants and workers.
As the leading national authority on materials joining and allied manufacturing technologies, and an innovator of repair technologies for rail manufacturers, EWI is uniquely positioned to manage Rail Manufacturing Technology Center operations and realize its goals. Says Suhas Vaze, Director of the new Center, “One of the fastest ways to achieve introduction and adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies for a U.S.-based passenger rail industry is to actively facilitate and manage technology transfer from the U.S. Department of Defense, oil & gas, aviation, and automotive supply chains to rail industry supply chains. EWI has been a highly effective technology bridge for these supply chains for more than two decades and we are well-positioned to serve as the technology bridge for stronger rail car supply chains.”
The Rail Manufacturing Technology Center is one of five centers and consortia operated by EWI that establish public/private partnerships to advance U.S. manufacturing competitiveness.