VINCENNES, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Vincennes University has received an $8 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through the competitive Phase 3 of its initiative, Charting the Future of Indiana’s Colleges and Universities. The grant will help VU build a talent pipeline for “Industry 4.0” in advanced automation and collaborative robots, or cobots, and support the creation of the Center for Applied Robotics and Automation.
Industry 4.0 is the combination of traditional manufacturing and industrial platforms and practices with the latest smart technology.
VU will focus on the emerging technology of cobots. These smaller industrial robots are designed to safely interact with humans in a shared workspace. Cobots can be additional support for workers, giving them an extra set of hands in the shared workspace. Their use can increase safety, production, and efficiency.
VU President Dr. Chuck Johnson said, “Thank you to Lilly Endowment Inc. We are thrilled that Vincennes University is a grant recipient of Charting the Future for Indiana’s College and University initiative. These are transformational times in Indiana and globally. This grant elevates and accelerates our work with many partners in helping students gain new and modern skills suitable for 21st-century jobs. This is an incredible opportunity to help shape the future of the state’s economy and workforce.”
In collaboration with the University’s partners, including Telamon Corporation and Techman Robot, VU plans to develop a workforce ecosystem for Industry 4.0 in Indiana with the Center for Applied Robotics and Automation serving as a training lab and hub for the development of curricula and credentials related to cobots throughout the state. The center will provide training for students in manufacturing and logistics.
Cobot learning labs will be deployed/set up at sites in Vincennes, Jasper, and Central Indiana, as well as in career centers throughout the state.
VU anticipates offering scholarships to students enrolling in traditional academic programs leading to credentials and degrees. It also plans to extend endeavors to reach students by engaging them in STEM-focused programming, building on existing partnerships with CTE educators throughout the state and VU’s collaboration with Purdue’s Indiana Manufacturing Competitiveness Center (IN-MaC). In conjunction with those efforts, the University intends to develop cobot competitions and boot camps to promote Industry 4.0 technologies and engage educators, students, parents, and employers.
The grant will also support VU’s ground-breaking work with ElevenFifty Academy in the development of Indiana’s cyber security workforce. A portion of the grant will fund a Progressive Income Share Agreement (PISA), an innovative alternative for providing financial assistance to students enrolled in the joint ElevenFifty/VU program.
