GE Aviation kicks off work on unique materials factories in Alabama
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama – GE Aviation executives joined Governor Robert Bentley today to formal launch a $200 million project to build two factories in Alabama that are critical to the company’s plans to produce revolutionary ultra-lightweight parts for jet engines. Leading state and local officials also attended a groundbreaking ceremony in Huntsville for the project, which…
Report: Key indicators show Alabama bioscience industry expanding
Alabama’s bioscience industry is robust, and key indicators show the sector is growing to support new, high-paying jobs, according to a report from TEConomy Partners LLC and the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, or BIO. The “Value of Bioscience Innovation in Growing Jobs and Improving Quality of Life 2016” Report examines metrics including the number of employees…
Innovation Depot boosts biotech pipeline, entrepreneurial ecosystem
Birmingham’s Innovation Depot has played a key role in growing Alabama’s biotech industry, with standout facilities, strong ties to world-class researchers and an extensive network of contacts that help new firms make their mark in the field. The business incubator is home to a wide range of startups, but its benefits for biotech companies are…
Commerce joins Alabama team at major biotech convention
A key recruitment official from the Alabama Department of Commerce is joining a delegation of state bioscience leaders at the BIO International Convention, the biotech sector’s largest annual conference, attracting more than 15,000 high-level industry figures from around the globe. BIO 2016 begins today at San Francisco’s Moscone Center and runs through Thursday. While there,…
Innovation Fund grant speeds rollout of AIMTech treadmill
The Alabama Innovation Fund helped speed the development of a revolutionary treadmill designed to allow people with neurological or physical disorders to exercise in a safe manner. The device, called the ResistX, is the first product from the Alliance for Innovative Medical Technology (AIMTech), a partnership between two Birmingham research powerhouses – Southern Research and…
Appetite for Growth: Alabama food companies expanding operations
Companies across Alabama are investing millions of dollars in new and expanded specialty food processing operations that tap into growing national trends. From pickled okra and salsa in Pike County to dehydrated fruits and vegetables in Foley, the projects were part of a record year of economic development for the state in 2015, with overall…
Trailer gives intense look at Alabama-filmed ‘USS Indianapolis’
Moviegoers are getting their first look at a World War II epic filmed in Alabama. The first official trailer for “USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage,” starring Nicolas Cage, has been released. The film, shot at Mobile’s USS Alabama Battleship Park and in Orange Beach, tells the story of the USS Indianapolis, which was tasked with…
Alabama plant stars in Mercedes Brand Experience
Alabama isn’t just the center of manufacturing for Mercedes-Benz in the U.S., it’s also become the destination for thousands of the company’s employees on a mission to learn more about the brand. The Mercedes-Benz Brand Immersion Experience kicked off in September 2014, and since then, nearly 9,000 employees of the German automaker’s dealer network have…
Alabama mom’s special needs shopping cart makes splash
Drew Ann Long, the Alabama mom who created a shopping cart for children with special needs that has captured the attention of Target, Walmart and other major retailers, has no plans to slow down. Long and her invention, Caroline’s Cart, have been in the media spotlight in recent months, since Target said it was putting…
Alabama Robotics Park Phase 3 center readies for training
TANNER, Alabama — There’s a new state-of-the-art tool in Alabama’s worker training effor. Gov. Robert Bentley and other officials today are cutting the ribbon on Phase 3 of the Robotics Technology Park, an $80 million, 85-acre campus in Limestone County where employees from Alabama companies receive training on the latest equipment from top industrial robot…
