Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative Ushers in New Era of Innovation
The new AMC building on the campus of the University of South Carolina Aiken (Photo: Susanna King, SRNL)
Savannah River National Laboratory opened the Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative on the University of South Carolina-Aiken campus in early August. The event marked the culmination of several years of planning and construction, which begins an exciting new era of innovation through greater engagement between the laboratory, academia and private industry.
The ribbon-cutting celebration was attended by U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Sen. Lindsay Graham, Rep. Joe Wilson and our partners from DOE-EM, which provided funding for the facility and shepherded the project to completion. State and local officials who have been steadfast partners in seeing the AMC become a reality were also in attendance.
Described as the new front door to SRNL, the AMC will accelerate the development and deployment of new technologies for manufacturing such as additive manufacturing, AI-driven automation and novel materials for fusion energy and energy resilience. The AMC expands SRNL’s footprint beyond the Savannah River Site, reducing barriers to working with its top experts in environmental technologies, energy infrastructure and nuclear energy.
Spanning two stories and covering more than 63,000 square feet, the AMC features diverse lab spaces including bench, high bay, computational and industrial engineering labs. The facility meets or exceeds LEED Silver certification standards with flexible, energy efficient spaces delivered under a DOE contract with North Wind Construction Services. The AMC includes open office layouts, multiple formal and informal meeting areas, a multipurpose classroom and conference rooms, informal meeting spots in public areas, and a versatile collaboration space.
The new facility will help SRNL accelerate collaborations with academia, industry partners and government agencies, driving innovation and supporting the Department of Energy mission and the lab’s critical work in environmental stewardship, national security and energy resilience.
“The Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative represents more than a building – it represents a bold step towards redefining how our national laboratory works with industry and academia to solve some of the nation’s most pressing energy and security challenges,” said SRNL Director Johney Green. “We are grateful to everyone across the Department of Energy, the University of South Carolina-Aiken, our partners and dedicated laboratory staff for the many years of work to make this vision a reality.”
By bridging R&D with real-world applications, the AMC will serve as an economic catalyst for the Southeast region and its robust manufacturing ecosystem to solve regional and national challenges. It will support job creation, expand industry partnerships and facilitate technology commercialization.
Lab Director Johney Green (center) and engineer Caleb Scott (right) show off the AMC’s Advanced Visualization and Analytics Lab to Secretary of Energy Chris Wright (left). (Photo: Laura Russo, SRNS)
“The AMC is positioned as a cornerstone to the broader work we are doing within the Technology Partnerships Office to engage new external partners for technical work or licensing of SRNL intellectual property,” said Daren Timmons, director of Technology Partnerships and the Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative. “We are very excited to have a visible testament to this intentional effort!”
SRNL will operate the facility, which will attract new technology and manufacturing to the region, as well as build a pipeline of talent to the lab and greater Savannah River Site. This will ensure that the AMC will serve the DOE and the nation for many years to come.