MANUFACTURING INNOVATION, TECHNOLOGY & JOB CENTER WILL HELP CREATE 30,000 JOBS AND
BOOST REGIONAL ECONOMY BY $40B BY 2032
CLEVELAND—OCTOBER 27, 2022—Today, in a fitting way to end manufacturing month, nonprofit MAGNET (The Manufacturing Advocacy & Growth Network) opened a new manufacturing hub to connect people to training and jobs, increase manufacturing innovation, and transform Northeast Ohio factories with advanced technologies.
MAGNET raised $13 million of the $18.5 million total cost to reimagine and rebuild the abandoned Margaret A. Ireland Elementary School as a 53,000-square-foot facility called the Manufacturing Innovation, Technology & Job Center. Highlights include:
• Innovation: 20,000-square-foot prototyping lab to help small- and medium-sized manufacturers and start-ups access innovative advanced manufacturing equipment and engineering expertise. • Jobs: A job concierge to connect people with training and career opportunities. • Career Awareness: Raise the visibility and awareness of high paying, hi-tech manufacturing careers through interactive displays, videos, tours, special events, and hands-on activities. • Learning: 6,900-square-foot learning wing in partnership with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District that will host 3,000 K-12 students a year.
• Technology: Technology showcase and engineering floor to give students and companies hands on experience interacting with the latest in Industry 4.0 technology, including collaborative robots, real-time data monitoring, augmented reality, and the Internet of Things.
• Immersive Play: A STEM playground designed with the Great Lakes Science Center (the Center will be an official outpost of the GLSC) and Cleveland Metroparks to introduce kids to science, engineering, and manufacturing with things like 3D sand printing and sensor-enabled basketball hoops.
“We’re at a critical turning point for American manufacturing. China is racing ahead with smart factories. Broken supply chains have shown us our weak spots. We need to bring more manufacturing back home,” says Dr. Ethan Karp, President & CEO of MAGNET. “Northeast Ohio can do this, but only with more skilled talent, greater technology adoption and increased innovation. Our new manufacturing hub brings all of this together so we can lead the world.”
MAGNET’s Blueprint for the Future of Manufacturing in Northeast Ohio is a detailed vision to transform Northeast Ohio into a global center for smart manufacturing, creating 30,000 jobs and boosting the regional economy by $40 billion. The Manufacturing Center is a critical part of achieving this impact.
County, State of Ohio and Ohio Department of Development. Many other partner organizations will co-
locate in the manufacturing hub, including the Great Lakes Science Center, Cleveland Metropolitan
School District, Towards Employment , Cleveland Water Alliance, Women In Manufacturing, NeoSTEM
Ecosystem, and TIES. The architect was Bialosky Cleveland and it was built by Krill.
The Manufacturing Center is open to the public and MAGNET is also hosting a free Community Open
House on October 28, 2022, from 1:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
About MAGNET
MAGNET is a nonprofit consulting group on a mission to make manufacturing better. Since 1984, we’ve
been proudly helping manufacturers in Northeast Ohio grow with progressive workforce programs,
advanced technology consulting, and innovation services. We also catalyze bigger change by rallying
companies, community leaders, governments, and educators to tackle the massive, systemic problems
that hold our region back. We’ve helped more than 2,000 manufacturers generate an additional $1
billion in sales, realize more than $400 million in cost savings, and create or save 11,000 jobs in
Northeast Ohio. Our work is made possible by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, part
of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), and the Ohio
MEP. Learn more: www.manufacturingsuccess.org.
