Cal Poly Pomona’s $7.5 million boost for smart manufacturing leadership
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One of the largest research grants in Cal Poly Pomona’s history is set to transform both the university and the future of American manufacturing. With $7.5 million in funding from the National Science Foundation, the university’s College of Engineering will launch the Center for Research Advancement in Smart Manufacturing, known as CREST-RASM. The new center is designed to tackle one of the nation’s most urgent industrial challenges by building a workforce equipped to lead the digital transformation of manufacturing.
CREST-RASM brings together a multidisciplinary team of researchers to drive innovation in robotics, automation, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital twin technology. It aims to be a national model for integrating advanced technologies with applied engineering education while supporting the core mission of Industry 4.0. This transformation focuses on integrating data and digital tools into manufacturing to increase efficiency, adaptability and sustainability.
At a time when American manufacturing is facing pressure to reshore operations and adapt to global competition, this initiative positions Cal Poly Pomona as a leader in redefining the industrial workforce.
How emerging technologies are reshaping manufacturing
Led by Shokoufeh Mirzaei, professor in the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, CREST-RASM will concentrate on four key technology areas. These include robotics and automation, digital twin systems, extended reality and cybersecurity. The center’s research faculty draws from the university’s engineering, aerospace and computer science departments, underscoring the interdisciplinary nature of the project.
Digital twins provide a real-time digital replica of physical processes, enabling engineers to test and refine manufacturing systems before implementation. In an era of high production costs and global uncertainty, this technology offers critical advantages for efficiency and risk reduction. Meanwhile, cybersecurity becomes increasingly important as more factories connect to cloud platforms, industrial control networks and remote monitoring systems. Vulnerabilities in these systems can lead to production disruptions or intellectual property theft.
Artificial intelligence integrates across all domains within CREST-RASM. AI enables predictive maintenance, fault detection, automated decision-making and process optimization. Combined with immersive tools like extended reality, it allows researchers and students to interact with simulated environments that reflect actual production lines. This creates a more intuitive and scalable approach to designing, training and troubleshooting complex systems.
The convergence of these technologies is not theoretical. It is reshaping how goods are produced, how factories are run and how future workers are trained. CREST-RASM intends to bring this future into the classroom and laboratory, and then into the broader economy.
Developing talent for a digitally driven workforce
The center’s educational mission is as ambitious as its research goals. More than 120 Cal Poly Pomona students, including 80 undergraduates and 40 graduate students, will take part in hands-on research tied directly to CREST-RASM’s core focus areas. The initiative will also provide mentorship and outreach to hundreds of students from K-12 schools and community colleges, expanding awareness of smart manufacturing careers.
A major component of the center is the CPP-UC Riverside STEM Ph.D. Bridge Program. This partnership gives Cal Poly Pomona graduate students access to robotics and artificial intelligence research facilities at UC Riverside, as well as the opportunity for joint faculty mentorship. The goal is to strengthen the pipeline of underrepresented students progressing from master’s programs into doctoral research in engineering and computer science.
CREST-RASM will also launch a summer research exchange with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. This will connect students with national experts in smart manufacturing and expose them to different regional approaches to digital innovation. These academic pathways are not just for degree attainment. They are designed to give students early exposure to the evolving technologies shaping next-generation production systems.
Smart manufacturing as a national priority
Beyond its academic and technological goals, CREST-RASM supports a larger national agenda. The United States faces an urgent need to modernize its manufacturing base, secure its supply chains and compete with rising global powers. The federal government has identified smart manufacturing as a strategic priority, and institutions like Cal Poly Pomona are now playing a direct role in advancing that objective.
The university’s learn-by-doing model, already embedded in its College of Engineering, is well suited to the demands of this transition. In May, the university opened the Vy and Timothy Li Automation Lab, where students work with real-world industrial systems including collaborative robots and smart sensors. Together with CREST-RASM, the lab creates a powerful infrastructure for bridging education, research and industry practice.
This dual focus on innovation and readiness reflects the realities of today’s economy. The skills required for high-value manufacturing are no longer limited to mechanical knowledge. They demand fluency in data systems, AI algorithms, cybersecurity protocols and digital collaboration tools. CREST-RASM prepares students to lead in this environment, not just participate in it.
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