This EDA investment supports the heartland robotics cluster coalition, led by the invest nebraska corporation, with their proposal to make nebraska a leader in robotic technologies and advanced…

This EDA investment supports the heartland robotics cluster coalition, led by the invest nebraska corporation, with their proposal to make nebraska a leader in robotic technologies and advanced manufacturing automation targeting the agriculture industry, the leading industry in nebraska. The covid-19 pandemic caused severe disruptions in the agriculture supply chains and a significant reduction in the rural labor force, which was already under severe duress due to population out-migration. If provided an implementation grant, the coalition believes its investments in makerspaces, education, workforce development, and incubation would set nebraska on a long-term path to continue as a leader in agriculture production with greater labor productivity. This technology-based economic development initiative would formally establish and develop coalition cluster partners by leveraging nebraska's inherent agricultural strengths to make the region a resilient economy for the future.