UTSA has been selected to receive a five-year, $70 million cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Energy to establish and lead the Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Institute, ushering in an era of cybersecurity that focuses on achieving energy efficiency, leads to job creation and technical innovation, and further propels the U.S. to the forefront of manufacturing competitiveness.

American manufacturers are the top target for cyber criminals and nation-state adversaries, impacting the manufacturing and deployment of energy technologies, such as electric vehicles, solar panels and wind turbines. Integration across the supply chain network and an increased use of automation applied in energy-efficient manufacturing processes can make industrial infrastructures vulnerable to cyberattacks. To protect American manufacturing jobs and workers, CyManII will enable a digital transformation that makes manufacturers more resilient and globally competitive against our nation’s adversaries.

“CyManII leverages the unique research capabilities of the Idaho, Oak Ridge, and Sandia National Laboratories as well as critical expertise across our partner cyber manufacturing ecosystem,” says President Taylor Eighmy. “We look forward to formalizing our partnership with the DOE to advance cybersecurity in energy-efficient manufacturing for the nation.”

As part of its national strategy CyManII will focus on three high-priority areas where collaborative research and development can help U.S. manufacturers: securing automation, securing the supply chain network, and building a national program for education and workforce development.

“As United States manufacturers increasingly deploy automation tools in their daily work, those technologies must be embedded with powerful cybersecurity protections,” says Howard Grimes, CyManII chief executive officer and associate vice president and associate vice provost for institutional initiatives at UTSA. “UTSA has assembled a team of best-in-class national laboratories, industry, and nonprofit and academic organizations to cybersecure the U.S. manufacturing enterprise. Together, we will share the mission to protect the nation’s supply chains, preserve its critical infrastructure and boost its economy.”