Missouri University of Science and Technology recently achieved a Research 1 designation, classifying it as one of the top-tier research institutions in the nation by the Carnegie Foundation.

As part of their ongoing research the university, located in Rolla, is expanding with several projects.

Dr. David Borrok, Dean of the College of Engineering and Computing at the University, told Missourinet one of the projects is the Missouri Protoplex-a future 116,000 square-foot manufacturing research and development hub.

“That’s dedicated to initiative, we call the Missouri manufacturing ecosystem one of the missions of that ecosystem is to make sure one, we’re developing the right kind of workforce for manufacturing in in Missouri,” said Borrok. “But two, we want to be able to help all sorts of manufacturing businesses in Missouri and doing cutting edge prototyping and things with equipment and knowledge that they may not have in smaller business areas.”

Borrok said they do have some major companies involved in Protoplex.

“We have representatives from companies like Caterpillar and Boeing and others who will be stationed with us and sort of coexist with us in the building and they’ll be working hand in hand with our faculty and professors on somebody’s cutting edge advanced manufacturing techniques,” he said.

Another one of S and T’s research projects includes a future 18,000-square-foot test bed facility.

Borrok said the research is in critical minerals.

“Whether they be chemicals, or elements or, you know, metals and so forth that we are now calling critical because they’re hard to get, and a lot of times the supply chains for those are focused on other countries who may not be as friendly to us,” said Borrok. “And so, the idea is how do we get these supply chains back focused in the U.S., and it turns out on our campus we have a wealth of expertise in this area.”