The Timeline
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1985
U.S. manufacturing comes under threat from higher quality, lower-cost items produced in Japan.
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1987-1988
Congress passes the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act, creating the Regional Centers for the Transfer of Manufacturing Technology Program (MTC) and the Assistance to State Technology Programs (also known at the Boehlert-Rockefeller Technology Program and later the State Technology Extension Program or STEP.)
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1989
Establishment of a national network begins. The first three MTCs are funded in 1989, followed the first nine STEP awards in 1990.
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1994
The Regional Centers program and STEP combine to form what is now the MEP. The Manufacturing Extension Partnership Center of Nebraska (Nebraska MEP) begins operation. The Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) becomes the cooperative agreement holder with four subsequent partners: UNO's Business Development Center (NBDC), UNL's Food Processing Center (FPC), UNL's Nebraska Technical Assistance Center in the College of Engineering (CoE) and Central Community College (CCC).
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1998
The UNL CoE shuts down the Technical Assistance Center and withdraws from the Nebraska MEP.
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2013
On September 30, DED vacates it's cooperative agreement with NIST and relinquishes operational oversight of the Nebraska MEP.
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2014
On January 22, the final signature on the NIST Financial Assistance Award is affixed and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln accepts responsibility for operational oversight of the Nebraska MEP with CCC remaining a subsequent partner.
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2018
On May 1, Matt Allmand selected as director of the Nebraska MEP.
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2022
The University's Heartland Robotics Cluster is the recipient of a federal $25M Build Back Better Regional Challenge. Partners include the UNL College of Engineering, Nebraska Innovation Studio, The Combine, Invest Nebraska, and the Nebraska MEP.
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2023
On July 19, the Nebraska MEP moves into it's new Manufacturing Training & Technology Center at 6200 South 58th St. in Lincoln.