WEDC grant will boost UW-Stout CAM-AI effort

June 23, 2025

MENOMONIE – A $647,000 grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) will allow University of Wisconsin-Stout’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Artificial Intelligence (CAM-AI) to provide advanced manufacturing and AI support to small- and medium-sized manufacturers.

“The WEDC financial commitment will allow UW-Stout to fully build out the Center for Advanced Manufacturing and AI,” UW-Stout Chancellor Katherine Frank said. “This investment will enable UW-Stout to expand its delivery of cutting-edge, industry-focused support and services to small- and medium-sized businesses throughout the state.”

Missy Hughes, secretary/CEO of WEDC, said “for (Wisconsin’s) small- and medium-sized manufacturers to remain competitive in the global marketplace, it’s absolutely critical for them to be able to harness the power of AI in their daily operations.” 

Seth Hudson – UW-Stout’s executive director for Corporate Relations and Economic Engagement – said the funding will allow the university to invest in state-of-the-art equipment to expand and enhance the services of CAM-AI. 

“This investment will allow us to further contribute to the growth of our industry partners through advanced manufacturing techniques and AI-driven solutions,” he said.

David Ding – director of the Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering and an associate dean in the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Management – said the grant will allow UW-Stout to fully build out an Automated Demonstration line, enabling the university to showcase to its industry partners the applications of automation, robotics, vision inspection and AI-aided manufacturing. 

“The demonstration system will showcase the new technologies that CAM-AI can help manufacturers implement in their own processes,” Ding said.

Once fully operational, he said, the WEDC investment will allow CAM-AI to serve approximately 20 companies and 100-plus students each year.

Hudson said the goals of UW-Stout’s CAM-AI include:

• Partnering with the UW-Stout Manufacturing Outreach Center to provide timely academic applied research expertise
• Providing direct assistance in solving time-sensitive industry-focused problems
• Providing services, such as additive manufacturing and testing
• Engaging with regional and statewide initiatives that support advanced manufacturing and AI