In preparation for its inaugural “The Factory of the Future” Conference coming to Louisville in September, the Metals Innovation Initiative (MI2) has put forth a national call for innovations related to the metals industry — both locally and globally, according to a news release.
Innovators are encouraged to submit ideas that are particularly connected to environment sustainability, workforce development, advanced manufacturing and creative metals projects of any variety. Applicants can be from anywhere in the U.S. The competition is open to individuals, startups, research institutions and established companies.
The deadline to submit an application is Aug. 15. To apply and get more details, visit mi2.konexons.com.
Out of those who apply, 12 will be named finalists. Out of those 12, four finalists will be chosen to pitch to a panel on Sept. 5 at the conference, which will take place Sept. 5-6 at Louisville Marriott East.
The winner of the pitch will receive an investment of $100,000 from the Sheltowee Venture Fund, as well as the opportunity to take part in a pilot project with one of the MI2 member companies.
“We are incredibly excited to launch the Call for Innovation competition,” said Vijay Kamineni, CEO of MI2, in a release. “Metal technology plays a crucial role in numerous sectors and we firmly believe that fostering innovation in this field is essential for driving progress and addressing the challenges of our time. This competition will provide a unique opportunity for innovators to showcase their talent and contribute to the advancement of metal technology.”
For more information on the conference, visit mi2ky.org/conference/.
The Louisville conference will commemorate the one-year anniversary of MI2, a nonprofit based in Bowling Green, Kentucky, at Western Kentucky University's (WKU) Innovation Campus. It was started by eight founding member companies that have large presences in Kentucky as a means of attracting and promoting sustainability, commercialization, advanced research and talent development within the state’s metals industry.
The organization also has received support from KY Innovation from the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, WKU, the Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation (KSTC) and AccelerateKY, among others.
Kentucky’s metals sector is made up of more than 230 facilities throughout the state — and responsible for approximately 25,000 full-time jobs, according to a release.
