The planning process for a Research and Education Park was developed under the direction of a subcommittee of the North American Advanced Manufacturing Research and Education Initiative (NAAMREI). NAAMREI was launched as a result of a U.S. Department of Labor investment. The initiative is devoted to developing a skilled and talented regional workforce focused on transforming the Rio South Texas region into a world leader for advanced and rapid response manufacturing.
The need for a Research and Education Park emerged from a regional plan for NAAMREI. Consortium members recognized that today’s manufacturing product life cycle must respond rapidly to the needs of the customer, which in turn defines the concept of rapid response advanced manufacturing. A Research and Education Park would be needed to help shorten the cycle and deliver customized products in “world record times.” By having research and development facilities close by, companies will be able to speed up the time it takes to go from concept to consumer.
The Research and Education Park, which has not yet been officially named, will be a unique, mixed-use, research and educational development. The park will provide and/or incorporate a full range of interactive research and development, education, training and/or public support services in an interrelated format. A unique feature of the park will be an education campus. Occupants will also consist of workforce training, government and corporate facilities. Aerospace, automotive, industrial, medical and consumer electronics are among the key manufacturing markets being targeted.
McAllen Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) CEO Keith Patridge heads the Research Park and Education subcommittee’s master planning process. A unique feature of the park is the partnership of public and private entities, with MEDC taking the lead in obtaining private sector involvement. MEDC secured commitments for 400 acres for the park, which consists of private and public land. The land is located near the McAllen Foreign Trade Zone and the South Texas College (STC) Technology Campus.
The North American Advanced Manufacturing Research Initiative combines the innovation, talents and strategies of more than 60 partners in business, education, economic development, industry, finance and government. They are working together to bring world-class advanced and rapid response manufacturing to the region by providing a talent pool of skilled workers. Their goal is to create high skilled and high wage jobs that will sustain economic growth and improve the quality of life for the region’s fast growing population.
NAAMREI, which services the Rio South Texas region, is a stakeholder in the development of the Research and Education Park. Dr. Robert S. Nelsen, president of The University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA), serves as NAAMREI chair. Wanda Garza of South Texas College (STC) is the executive officer. The South Texas College Technology Campus, located in the McAllen Foreign Trade Zone, houses the NAAMREI corporate headquarters. Lead education agencies for NAAMREI are UTPA, STC and Region One Education Service Center.
Rio South Texas is a region composed of seven south Texas counties—Hidalgo, Cameron, Starr, Willacy, Webb, Zapata and Jim Hogg. State and local governments, educational institutions such as The University of Texas-Pan American and South Texas College, and business leaders are working together to improve the region’s economic climate for job creation. In particular, the region has identified advanced manufacturing as the means toward future economic prosperity.
The Rapid Response Manufacturing Center (RRMC) at The University of Texas-Pan American officially opened in April 2008. It is a key component of the NAAMREI regional plan for developing a world-class advanced manufacturing hub in Rio South Texas. The RRMC has established a solid foundation for supporting the regional manufacturing industry with an emphasis in Rapid Response Advanced Manufacturing. Through support from private and government entities including the National Science Foundation, the US Department of Commerce, The US Department of Defense, and the US Department of Labor, UTPA has amassed world class facilities that include state of the art microscope capability, state of the art rapid prototyping equipment, laser photonics, radio frequency identification (RFID), high performance computing and visualization, advanced injection molding equipment, manufacturing automation, and laser scanning including whole body scanners and hand-held product scanning devices. This equipment strongly supports research activities that facilitate findings that enhance the enablers of Rapid Response that are then integrated into the manufacturing product life cycle. Based on the considerable synergies that have developed from these substantial expenditures in equipment and facilities, this infrastructure continues to grow as new support is obtained and the overall initiative evolves particularly to include the development of the proposed research and education park.
Fostering the extensive use of this infrastructure is one of the roles of the UTPA Rapid Response Manufacturing Center. As a critical component of NAAMREI, the activities of the RRMC will leverage and expand research initiatives currently underway at UTPA, in the Rio South Texas Region, and nationally to:
- create new advanced manufacturing materials, processes and procedures;
- enhance current rapid response advanced manufacturing research; and
- foster the global competitiveness of North American manufacturing.
The center is evolving into a hub for regional technology with the support of the regional initiatives and its potential growth into the establishment of a regional research and education park with a new second phase RRMC facility as an anchor.
The Rapid Response Manufacturing Center will also become an emerging manufacturing-focused technology incubator that will leverage the knowledge base of the university to support innovation, technology commercialization and growth in one of the fastest growing manufacturing regions in North America. The Center is envisioned to become an applied research and development (R&D) arm (a contract skunk-works) to partner in the development and incubation of new small and medium manufacturing businesses. The RRMC will therefore be a catalyst for technology based innovation and commercialization leveraging the rapidly growing regional manufacturing hub and supporting the potential for sustained economic prosperity in the region.
South Texas College is a comprehensive community college that offers certificates, associate degrees and applied bachelor degrees. The college, which serves Hidalgo and Starr counties, has five campuses—the Pecan Campus, Technology Campus, and Nursing and Allied Health Campus in McAllen; the Starr County Campus in Rio Grande City; and the Mid-Valley Campus in Weslaco. In addition to college credit program, STC offers numerous customized workforce training programs.
STC is the lead agency for the Rio South Texas College Manufacturing Alliance. The Alliance was established five years ago to implement a regional apprenticeship program for tool and die, industrial maintenance, machinists and plastics. The Alliance has established Institutes for Advanced Manufacturing at South Texas College, Texas State Technical College, Texas Southmost College and Laredo Community College.
Master Planning Phase
U.S. Congressman Ruben Hinojosa, working along with MEDC and the City of McAllen, championed the efforts to secure funding for the park’s master plan. His office awarded $300,000 for the initial stage of the Research and Education Park. The funds will assist in developing the master planning process and establishing the design criteria for a series of interconnected University Centers of Innovation focused on Advanced Manufacturing in the Rio South Texas economic region.
In December 2010, the Research and Education Park took a big step closer to becoming a reality with the selection of Broaddus & Associates as master planners. The firm’s planning process concentrates on inclusion and multi-level participation at the earliest stages to identify the vision and objectives for the Research and Education Park. The firm will assist with the preparation of strategic plans, facilities needs assessments and projections, and long-range capital programs plans for the park.
Site for the Research and Education Park
The Research and Education Park will be located on 400 acres of public and private land near the McAllen Foreign Trade Zone. It is ideally situated in close proximity to the South Texas College Technology Campus, McAllen Miller International Airport, the 18.5 acre McAllen Convention Center Complex, downtown McAllen, and numerous hotels, restaurants and housing developments. Just west of the site is the 6,000-acre Sharyland Plantation, one of the finest mixed-use master planned communities in the country. Sharyland Plantation’s many schools, businesses, restaurants, and multi-family and single-family homes provide additional amenities for the park.
With so many neighboring services and facilities already in place, the park will have a “live, learn, work and play” environment before it even opens.