The University of Louisville Alumni Magazine: for alumni, faculty, staff, students and anyone that is a UofL Cardinal fan.
Issue link: https://louisville.epubxp.com/i/339710
2 2 | L O U I S V I L L E . E D U The University of Lou- isville will be a prime player in a consortium of universities and compa- nies working to further the cause of advanced manufacturing. The Digital Manu- facturing and Design Innovation (DMDI) Institute, of which the university is a part, will have its headquarters in Chicago with manu- facturing partners and research sites across the U.S. — including one at UofL. The goal of the in- stitute will be to increase the country's manufactur- ing competitiveness by developing software, data management tools and production processes that reduce costs and improve eff ciencies for companies large and small. The $320 million in- stitute is being funded by a $70 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense and $250 million in investments and sup- port commitments from industry, academia, gov- ernment and community partners. The institute is part of the White House's initiative to establish a National Network for Manufacturing Innova- tion, which calls for a system of independent, public-private entities performing advanced manufacturing research. Being part of the institute is expected to put the university on the cutting edge of the digital manu- facturing movement. In addition, participa- tion in the institute will bolster UofL's efforts to build an applied science and engineering park adjacent to its Belknap Campus, give the state's manufacturers access to technologies and tools they need to be competi- tive in a changing global marketplace, provide co-op and research opportunities for students and create jobs. UofL part of group that receives federal grant for advanced manufacturing Papa John's Schnatter tells aspiring entrepreneurs it's OK to make mistakes John Schnatter, founder and CEO of Louisville-based Papa John's International Inc., recently provided some valuable lessons to aspiring entrepreneurs dur- ing a discussion sponsored by Nucleus: Kentucky's Innovation Center. Schnatter told the audience the story of how he — at age 22 — knocked down a broom closet in his father's Jeffersonville, Ind., tavern, bought $1,600 worth of used restaurant equipment and began delivering pizzas from the back of the bar. That humble start resulted in the f rst Papa John's restaurant opening in 1984. Today, the chain is the third-largest in the United States with 4,400 locations in 50 states and 35 countries. Schnatter's most pressing advice to the owners of budding businesses? Don't be afraid to make mis- takes. "You can't innovate if you don't mess things up," he said. "That's how you learn to get better." The pizza magnate's talk was part of the Entrepre- neurs Meet Innovators series through which Nucleus is connecting start-up business owners with CEOs. Nucleus is the research, innovation and commercial- ization arm of the University of Louisville Founda- tion Inc. The hour-long discussion with Schnatter, which included a question-and-answer session, was record- ed by KET for later broadcast. It was recorded at iHub, a shared workspace for start-up companies located in downtown Louisville. Economic Impact TOP: Lt. Gov. Jerry Abramson shakes hands with President James Ramsey as Glen Prater, PhD, and Dean Neville Pinto, PhD, look on. BOTTOM: A rendering of the Belknap Engineering and Applied Sciences Park that is under construction at the old Kentucky Trailer site. U L _ 2 2 2 2 UL_22 22 6 / 2 3 / 1 4 9 : 2 6 A M 6/23/14 9:26 AM