Research Sponsors

National Science Foundation

The NSF is a key sponsor of the SmartState Lab activities and projects. NSF funds fundamental science in machining processes, and is the supporter of our NSF THINKER education science program, as well as an upcoming series of planning workshops around teaming for an Engineering Research Center proposal.

Office of Naval Research

ONR funds SmartState Lab work in training the next generation of technicians, engineers and designers of robotics in manufacturing systems, with particular emphasis on how robots and humans integrate and complement one another in these environments. This grant is under the Manufacturing Engineering Education grant program (MEEP) begun in 2018 to put stronger emphasis on manufacturing technology education.

BMW AG and BMW Manufacturing Corporation

BMW is a strategic research partner with Clemson University, and funds work in the areas of quality, production, sensing, and human integration to the manufacturing landscape. BMW was a core partner in the establishment of the CU-ICAR campus and Automotive Engineering program, and together with the State of South Carolina, funded two endowed chairs in the SmartState program: Automotive Manufacturing, and Systems Integration.

South Carolina Fraunhofer Alliance

The Fraunhofer Alliance is a new cooperative entity between the Fraunhofer USA network and the state Department of Commerce. This partnership around RAPID INNOVATION brings the capabilities of the technical universities to bear on pressing industrial problems, on a shorter time scale than typical research projects.

Samsung Electronics Home Appliances

South Carolina is home to SEHA’s first manufacturing presence in the United States, and they are working closely with Clemson on projects related to manufacturing efficiency and quality in assembly operations.

Collaboration Partners