HARTFORD – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced on Monday that the Connecticut Manufacturing Simulation Center (CMSC) is this week’s “Murphy’s Monday Manufacturer.” CMSC, a UConn School of Engineering program, provides small and medium-sized technology and manufacturing businesses with access to high-performance computing hardware and computational design, modeling, and simulation resources. CMSC was launched in 2016 as a partnership between the University of Connecticut, the U.S. Economic Development Administration, and Connecticut Innovations to help local Connecticut manufacturers lower their design and manufacturing costs, and get their products to market more efficiently. CMSC works on a subscription model, giving businesses access to modeling technology for a fraction of the cost of installing a similar high-performance computing system in their own facilities.

CMSC officially launched in UConn’s new Tech Park last week. It is a sister program of the Quiet Corner Innovation Cluster (QCIC) and the Proof of Concept Center (POCC). The $2.1 million partnership is receiving $600,000, spread out over multiple years, from the U.S. Department of Commerce. As part of UConn’s commitment to work with Connecticut State Colleges & Universities’ Advanced Manufacturing Technology Centers to meet the state’s workforce needs, CMSC is also working to create a workforce pipeline of students and professionals that are trained to use the high-performance computing hardware and other resources. CMSC, in conjunction with QCIC, is expected to help 180 small- and medium-sized manufacturing companies, and add almost 2,500 jobs to the Connecticut economy.

“I’m so excited that CMSC is finally up and running at UConn’s state-of-the-art Tech Park,” said Murphy. “CMSC is doing important work to build a pipeline of credentialed and dedicated young workers who are excited about manufacturing, and to set our manufacturing businesses up for success.”

“Under the exceptional leadership of Dr. Jeongho Kim, this center, in short time, will become the go-to simulation resource for local manufacturing companies in the Quiet Corner and beyond,” said Dr. Hadi Bozorgmanesh, director of the Enterprise Solution Center, which is the umbrella organization for CMSC, QCIC, and POCC. “Not only will this provide a sorely needed resource for small and medium-sized manufacturers and technology companies, but the UConn School of Engineering is developing a skilled workforce for high-demand jobs in the state of Connecticut.” 

The manufacturing industry plays a crucial role throughout Connecticut communities, creating new jobs and accelerating our state’s economic recovery. Today, Connecticut’s 4,600 manufacturers account for 10% of the state’s jobs and 87% of the state’s total exports. In order to protect and grow manufacturing jobs in Connecticut, Murphy has introduced two pieces of legislation that aim to strengthen existing standards and prioritize the purchase of American-made goods, the BuyAmerican.gov Act and the American Jobs Matter Act.

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