Shapiro Administration Invests More Than $3.1 Million to Help Boost Manufacturing Innovation Partnerships Across Pennsylvania

The 47 projects support partnerships with local manufacturing companies through 21 Pennsylvania Universities across 19 counties.

Since its inception in 2018, the Manufacturing PA fellowship program has granted over $21 million to 851 students across the Commonwealth for 323 total projects, and 237 Pennsylvania companies have benefited from these partnerships.

Harrisburg, PA - Today, Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger announced $3,144,422 in grants through the Manufacturing PA Innovation Program, supporting 47 student research projects across Pennsylvania partnering with businesses to advance manufacturing innovation.

The projects are part of Manufacturing PA's fellowship program, which embeds the Commonwealth's best and brightest graduate and undergraduate students with local manufacturers to develop new technologies and advance innovation statewide. Universities can apply for up to $70,000 in funding for specific student research projects.

Since its inception in 2018, the Manufacturing PA fellowship program has granted over $21 million to 851 students across the Commonwealth for 323 total projects, and 237 Pennsylvania companies have benefited from these partnerships. The program is administered by DCED and Carnegie Mellon University.

"Innovation has long been a critical part of Pennsylvania's rich manufacturing and industrial history," said DCED Secretary Siger. "The Shapiro Administration recognizes that Pennsylvania is a hub for innovation, and the Manufacturing PA Innovation Program will make sure we remain competitive and position the Commonwealth to address future needs."

The 47 projects support partnerships with local manufacturing companies through 21 Pennsylvania Universities across 19 counties.

This round of awards includes the following. The full list of awards can be found online.

• Carnegie Mellon University: $70,000 to partner with HexSpline3D LLC in Allegheny County to assemble digital twins of biological neurosphere networks for computation and disease modeling.
• Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: $70,000 to partner with Vytrina LLC in Philadelphia County to develop a strong and painless gel patch to treat acute wounds with minimal scarring.
• Drexel University: $70,000 to partner with Vitro Architectural Glass in Allegheny, Cumberland, and Crawford counties to enable large-scale manufacturing of flat glass for solar panels.
• Thomas Jefferson University: $65,285 to partner with Bollman Hat Company in Lancaster County to create fashionable-integrated headwear for fall protection in aging adults.
• Villanova University: $66,365 to partner with Aero Aggregates of North America LLC in Delaware County to develop the use of open-cell foamed glass aggregate in green roof applications.

Governor Shapiro's 2026-27 budget proposal increases funding for innovation to continue economic growth around the Commonwealth.

• Innovate in PA 2.0: Back in 2013 under a Republican Governor, Pennsylvania launched the Innovation fund. Building off of that legacy, this budget creates the Innovate in PA 2.0 program to deploy nearly $100 million into the state's innovation economy. Innovate in PA 2.0 would provide capital for promising startups - following in the footsteps of companies like Gecko Robotics in Pittsburgh or Gilson Snow in Selinsgrove - fund clinical trials for the life sciences and develop a workforce and education pipeline to help these companies succeed.
• Ag Innovation Grant Program: Pennsylvania agriculture supports over 48,800 farms, nearly 600,000 jobs, and contributes $132.5 billion annually to our economy. Governor Shapiro understands that economic success is dependent on our rural communities and farmlands ― that's why Pennsylvania has leaned into the innovation found on our farms and has put real capital behind our farmers. The 2026-27 budget includes a $9 million increase ― a total of $19 million - for the first-in-the-nation Agricultural Innovation program.

Governor Shapiro and his Administration recognize that Pennsylvania has always been a national leader in discovery and innovation - from Ben Franklin's lightning rod to the polio vaccine. The Commonwealth has been a key supporter of that innovation, encouraging Pennsylvanians' big ideas and funding many of our nation's firsts, including the first public-private technology partnerships in 1983 and the first Agricultural Innovation Grant Program under Governor Shapiro in 2023.

For more information about DCED, visit the agency's website, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.

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