Starsand Technologies co-founder Ann Dela Cruz, a native of Guam, speaks at the discussion on 3D Printing Concrete as an affordable solution to Guam’s housing needs. More than 100 people attended the roundtable on Nov. 7, 2023, at the University of Guam’s School of Business and Public Administration. UOG Photo.
Guam’s plan for industrial additive manufacturing — or 3D printing — is moving forward.
The Applied Science and Technology Research Organization of America, ASTRO, announced the delivery of an implementation plan to build the Guam Additive Materials and Manufacturing Accelerator, GAMMA.
It’s based on three pillars: workforce development and education; component testing and evaluation; and manufacturing business incubation/support on-island.
At the outset, the U.S. Navy will serve as the primary customer and funding source for GAMMA, which will encompass a site for workforce training and education, naval ships’ part testing and evaluation, as well as prototyping and supply chain maturation, ASTRO said in a press release.
New infrastructure will provide high-caliber training and cutting-edge production capabilities on-island that, over the long term, may also be applied to a broad range of commercial or non-naval industries across the Indo-Pacific, it said.
The cornerstone of GAMMA is a satellite campus of a mainland U.S. university in Guam, based on the grounds of the University of Guam.
ASTRO is helping UOG and Guam Community College enter an agreement with another academic institution renowned for its leadership in manufacturing education and technical research.
This partnership will support conferring of joint certifications, as well as associates, bachelors, and masters degrees for students on-island from UOG, GCC, and the mainland U.S institution.
Additionally, ASTRO will also support establishment of the only industrial metallic part-inspection and validation laboratory within thousands of miles.
The plan calls for a Guam Economic Development Authority-sponsored facility to be built on-campus to house operations supporting each of the three pillars.
“For two years, ASTRO, commissioned by GEDA and (Bureau of Statistics and Plans), has grown a body of expertise on developing industrial AM capabilities in Guam,” Gov. Leon Guerrero said in a statement. “As we move toward making GAMMA a reality, we will continue to work with our partners to diversify Guam’s economy and establish the island as a center of excellence for additive manufacturing, particularly for the United States Navy’s submarine force.”
The governor said she’s pleased that much of Guam’s talent and expertise is being used to create new job opportunities for Guam and contribute to national security interests.
The next steps for the implementation plan include:
• Enrollment of five Guam students to the U.S. Navy’s Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing in Danville, Virginia.
• Education workshop at the Colorado School of Mines (Mines) with participants from UOG, GCC, GEDA, and Mines administration, as well as ASTRO and Navy personnel.
• Technical workshop in Washington, D.C. with key U.S. Navy and shipbuilder decisionmakers.
• Guam workshop in Fall 2024.
“I strongly believe GAMMA can revolutionize Guam’s economy and establish the island as a part-manufacturing hub in the Indo-Pacific region,” said ASTRO president Neal Orringer. “ASTRO America stands committed to helping realize Gov. Leon Guerrero’s vision, and chart a course for the island’s future in on-demand production.”
Full Pacific Daily News article here.