EDINBURG, Texas — The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s Institute for Advanced Manufacturing (IAM) is hosting a major two-day summit this week designed to connect regional small-and-medium-sized manufacturers, academic researchers, and industry leaders with cutting-edge tools in artificial intelligence, robotics, and digital manufacturing.
The bi-county event begins in Brownsville before moving to Edinburg the following day, spanning both Cameron and Hidalgo counties to emphasize a regionalized approach to workforce development and supply chain resiliency across South Texas.
The event in Brownsville is co-sponsored by the Greater Brownsville Economic Development Corporation. It takes place at the Stars Courtyard 1246, E. Washington Street in Brownsville, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., on October. 20.
The event in Edinburg is co-sponsored by the Council for South Texas Economic Progress. It takes place at the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing on UTRGV’s Edinburg campus.
In a podcast previewing the summit hosted by Rio Grande Guardian publisher Steve Taylor, IAM Associate Director Mostafa Malki and event organizer Liz Sanchez detailed how the institute aims to lower barriers to advanced technology adoption for local enterprises.
"Our primary goal is to ensure that small and medium-sized manufacturers in the Rio Grande Valley have direct access to high-tech equipment and artificial intelligence integration without taking on prohibitive financial risks," explained Mostafa Malki during the discussion.
Malki noted that while large-scale corporations expanding into the region—such as SpaceX in Cameron County and Saronic's marine defense shipyard at the Port of Brownsville—bring significant capital, local suppliers must be equipped with modern digital manufacturing techniques to capture contracting opportunities and keep economic returns within the community.
Liz Sanchez highlighted that the summit was specifically structured across two days and two campuses to accommodate stakeholders across the entire border corridor.
"By hosting Day One in Brownsville and Day Two in Edinburg, we are bringing these critical resources directly to regional businesses, economic development corporations, and educators," Sanchez said. "It allows us to showcase hands-on training, industry-recognized credentialing, and incubator support for local entrepreneurs."
The summit builds on momentum generated by recent workforce and research expansion at UTRGV, including a $5 million federal grant awarded by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
Led by Dr. Jianzhi (James) Li, inaugural director of the IAM, the funding equips the institute to train 250 workers and grant 200 technical credentials over a 12-month period, while providing direct prototyping assistance for small business startups.
Under the IAM framework, regional firms utilize UTRGV’s facility as a testing ground to prototype components, automate processes, and integrate AI systems before deploying them on active production floors.
"In the end, what we want to do here is make sure humans are on top of AI, not AI on top of us. We want to ensure the wealth created by modern technology is accessible to everyday Americans right here in South Texas."
— Dr. Jianzhi (James) Li, Director, UTRGV Institute for Advanced Manufacturing
Two-Day Summit Schedule & Focus Areas
|
Day & Location |
Core Focus & Key Sessions |
Target Audience |
|
Day One: Stars Courtyard, Brownsville |
Maritime defense, port logistics, aerospace manufacturing, and cross-border supply chain integration. |
Coastal industrial leaders, Port of Brownsville vendors, and Cameron County EDCs. |
|
Day Two: IAM, UTRGV Edinburg campus |
AI application in production, digital prototyping, robotics automation, and SBA credentialing programs. |
Regional small manufacturers, engineering students, and regional economic developers. |
During the broadcast, Malki emphasized that closing the technical gap for local manufacturers is essential to reversing long-standing "brain drain" and keeping top engineering talent from leaving the Rio Grande Valley.
By establishing a unified manufacturing pipeline across Hidalgo and Cameron counties, UTRGV’s IAM seeks to position South Texas as an agile, high-tech manufacturing hub capable of competing on an international scale.
