Ma²JIC is Largest Industry-University Cooperative Research Center in U.S. for 2018
Since 2010, the mission of the Manufacturing and Materials Joining Innovation Center’s (Ma²JIC) has been to establish a collaborative research environment between universities and industrial partners, which promotes the development and application of fundamental knowledge in the areas of materials joining and additive manufacturing while providing a platform for educating the next generation of scientists and engineers. A multi-institution research center, Ma²JIC’s lead site is The Ohio State University led by Dr. Antonio Ramirez, with partner sites at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Colorado School of Mines, and Lehigh University.
Ma²JIC: Largest IUCRC in the nation
In fiscal year 2018, Ma²JIC was the largest Industry University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC) in the nation by amount of membership income. In that period, Ma²JIC’s total income was over $4.2 million from capital and in-kind support, with $2.4 million from membership dues alone¹. Ma²JIC far exceeded the average IUCRC income, which was $1.19 million².
Beyond funding, Ma²JIC’s research output in 2018 was also notable:
- the center had 27 publications in peer-reviewed journals
- 74 conference presentations and papers
- five dissertations
The Industry-University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC) program is sponsored by the National Science Foundation, and intended to engage industry with university research to perform cutting-edge, pre-competitive fundamental research in areas of interest to industry that drive innovation and strengthen the U.S. economy. As the largest IUCRC in the nation, Ma²JIC has been leading materials joining innovation in industries ranging from energy generation and aerospace to automotive and defense.
Return on Investment
Ma²JIC’s 48 industry members guide the direction of the center’s research through active involvement and mentoring. The cooperative nature of the center means that members have access to all projects and results across Ma²JIC. Their $55k annual membership fee gains them access to over $16 million in research.
Ma²JIC’s industry members interact with leading universities involved in manufacturing and materials joining research through the development of collaborative research projects across industries. Members have reported using these collaborations to great extents. This past year, 80% of members said they developed partnerships with university faculty or research scientists through one-to-one research contracts, collaboration on a grant, and/or consulting. 60% of members said they developed partnerships with other industry advisory board members through research partnership, collaboration, and/or joint investment³.
A recent example where this industry-university research model translated into discovery and savings for a Ma²JIC member was celebrated. Weld modeling helped a Ma²JIC member determine that conventional rule for mash seam welding is not correct or does not apply. This knowledge accelerated the development of a state of the art welder, allowing the member to realize savings in the millions of dollars per year.
Benefit of being a member of the nation's largest I/UCRC
"Being a member of Ma²JIC has allowed a number of industry participants to gather with common calls on a pretty competitive basis to cover issues that technically affect each of us in our industry. We’re able to mutually benefit from sharing our experiences and discussing potential solutions and how we may want them addressed. We’re then able to make a contribution to the industry as well as really learn and gain leverage on each others' experiences.", explains Patrick Boster, P.E. and Managing Principal of Stress Engineering Services Inc., WE Alumnus and College of Engineering Advisory Committee Member
If you are interested in joining Ma²JIC or learning more about the center and its research, please visit ma2jic.osu.edu, or contact Brooke Felts, Center Manager.
¹ National Science Foundation IUCRC. Final Report 2017-2018 Structural Information, January 2019.
² National Science Foundation IUCRC. IUCRC Program Findings from The Center Structure Database FY2018, April 17, 2019.
³ Manufacturing and Materials Joining Innovation Center. Manufacturing and Materials Joining Innovation Center Annual Report 2018-2019, 2019.
