The University of Texas at San Antonio's Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Institute announced Monday it plans to build a new training facility that will offer skills training to workers looking to advance in the cybersecurity field.
The Texas Manufacturing x Transformation Hub, also known as TxMx Hub, is a planned $5 million facility funded by the Texas legislature at Port San Antonio's technology innovation campus. Port San Antonio's Board of Directors approved a resolution allowing the hub to occupy a 14,500-square-foot facility rent-free for up to 18 years.
The Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Institute, known as CyManII, plans to use the hub to prepare 1 million workers in cybersecurity by 2026 by offering training and certifications for American manufacturers, according to a UTSA press release. Some of the manufacturing sectors the hub hopes to work with are aerospace, robotics, automobiles and electric vehicles.
"Because we're doing this work in San Antonio, we're contributing to the creation of a highly diverse workforce to protect the nation's critical infrastructure," UTSA President Taylor Eighmy said.
The 1,900-acre campus of Port San Antonio hosts multiple national cyber operations, including the 16th Air Force and other firms that protect both private-sector clients and the U.S. Department of Defense.
Howard Grimes, CyManII's CEO and UTSA associate vice president for institutional initiatives, said one of the nation's foremost problems is vulnerability to cyberattacks.
"For the U.S. to compete on the global stage, it is imperative that our manufacturing infrastructure is cybersecure," he said.
CyManII is funded by the Department of Energy for five years to head a group of member institutions to introduce cybersecurity measures that help manufacturers and supply chains adopt energy-efficient approaches. It's co-managed by the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response.
