EDINBURG, Texas, Aug. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Earlier this year, the State of Texas gave the University of Texas - Pan American (UTPA) $3.25 million from its Texas Emerging Technology Fund (TETF) to help the University expand its world-class advanced manufacturing center.

The Rapid Response Manufacturing Center (RRMC)

The investment goes to UTPA's Rapid Response Manufacturing Center (RRMC) which is dedicated to developing and applying emerging technologies that improve the competitiveness of manufacturing companies, while assisting entrepreneurs to form new enterprises and providing specialized education. Since its establishment in 2008, the RRMC has assisted more than 20 companies.

"The mission is to collapse the time from researching a customer driven concept, to bringing a product to market, and then at the end of the product lifetime have the product be a green disposal issue," says Dr. John Lloyd, Director of the Rapid Response Center at UTPA. "We are integrating the technologies, management and systems needed to significantly improve the speed and 'green' of all manufacturing operations," Dr. Lloyd explains.

Global Competitiveness

Rio South Texas, which encompasses southernmost Texas and Northeastern Mexico is located within one of the fastest growing and lowest cost regions in the United States. KPMG in its recent Competitive Alternatives 2010 ranked Mexico as the most cost competitive location among developed nations in all industry sectors. It also ranked McAllen, Texas as the most competitive city in the U.S. Midwest region.

The RRMC is ramping up this competitiveness by working not only with entrepreneurs, but also helping existing companies develop new technologies and implement systems that improve overall operations and productivity.

The RRMC is one of several strategies, including workforce recruitment and training, of the North American Advanced Manufacturing Research and Education Initiative (NAAMREI), a network of over 60 partners from K-12 and higher education, business, economic development, industry, finance and government focused on offering manufacturers across North America, and globally, access to proprietary, world-class advanced and rapid response manufacturing.

Rio South Texas is currently the largest U.S./Mexico border region in America, the third largest market in Texas, and the 23rd largest market in the U.S. The Rio South Texas Economic Council was formed in 2008 to attract private sector investment, economic diversification and business expansions to the region.

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SOURCE Rio South Texas Economic Council