Advanced Technology
In the fast-paced, highly competitive world of modern business and global markets, it’s become clear that manufacturers that don’t incorporate advanced technology into their operations will find it impossible to succeed.
How to Successfully Integrate Innovation
Utah-MEP is here to help you catalyze advanced technology and integrate innovation in robotics, AI, automation, advanced materials, additive manufacturing, and biotechnology through our deep resources and the targeted expertise of our alliance partners. Think of us as your hub for access to sector intelligence, business assessments, technical expertise, workforce resources, capital, and implementation support.
Our process is called the 7 Steps of Technology Adoption, and it allows manufacturers of all sizes to enter at any step and receive support based on your readiness and needs. Utah-MEP will provide you with support at every stage to help move any project forward, meeting manufacturers where they are to make a real difference today.
Market Sector Analysis is typical work for the Utah-MEP and its partners. Recent studies covered the Defense, Biomedical, and Advanced Materials sectors in Utah. We also are able to access to the University of Utah’s Kem C Gardner Policy Institute and receive valuable public-source data from NIST MEP and associations.
With our broad set of partners, we host or table at over 50 events or open enrollment trainings a year across Utah’s ecosystem. We also utilize our Mobile Technology Demonstration Lab to bring advanced technologies directly to manufacturers across Utah, including rural companies that may lack convenient access to demonstration facilities.
We offer a Free Automation Assessment that includes an in-depth, on-site review of their existing capabilities and technology targets. And through our partnership with Utah Industry Partners, we provide a Free 360 Business Assessment that uses a 360-degree, cross-functional employee survey to identify organizational needs.
Our traditional services provide the foundation for successful technology adoption by engaging manufacturers to identify technology opportunities, prepare operations, manage risk, train teams, and sustain results. We also provide Workforce Training through partnerships with UMA, SLCC, and Davis, Ogden-Weber, Bridgeland, and Southwest Technical Colleges. In addition, the Senior Capstone Design Program at the U of U engages engineering students in a year-long industry-driven project.
We work with manufacturers to develop a Technology Case and Implementation Roadmap, including requirements, expected benefits, costs, risks, workforce needs, vendor selection, installation, and sustainment. Technical specialists are engaged when needed to validate options and help manufacturers select solutions that best fit their operations and business objectives. Our model also attracts strong technical OEM participation. Roughly one-third of our association members are OEMs with the expertise and resources to engage manufacturers to solve technical challenges. We also have direct involvement with the state’s leading universities, which opens the door to networks of technical experts and new technologies. And our access to the NIST laboratories and the Manufacturing USA Institutes provide unparalleled technical expertise.
One of our key new priorities is to provide Capital-Readiness Support, including evaluations on whether a manufacturer’s proposed technology investment has a clear scope, credible business case, management support, implementation plan, expected return, and sufficient financial information. For qualified projects, we connect the manufacturer with appropriate lenders, investors, or government financing programs. We also provide guidance on State Automation Grants.
Technology Implementation often causes a temporary decline in productivity while equipment is installed, processes are adjusted, and employees learn new ways of working. We support manufacturers through this transition using workforce training, standard work, process improvement, quality systems, and performance measurement. These traditional MEP services help fully integrate the technology, sustain the change, and convert a compliant installation or promising idea into measurable operational benefits.
