Viewpoint exclusive: Why NM must create an advanced manufacturing economy
One way to diversify and strengthen New Mexico’s economy is to become a hot spot for manufacturing. To compete in the 21st-century economic landscape, we must tap into the extraordinary research and development already being conducted here, support creative homegrown companies and build a skilled workforce that will manufacture the advanced technologies and products of the future.
New Mexico has long been home to leading innovators and researchers. Our national laboratories, research universities and military installations have an extensive history of breakthroughs that have changed the way we power our electric grid, protect our national security and connect the world.
Our state is uniquely poised to grow its high-technology manufacturing sector. Our business owners, scientists and engineers have the creativity and capacity to provide a steady stream of technologies that could yield dividends in commercial markets.
I passed legislation to establish off-campus microlabs that serve as the “front door" to our national laboratories. These microlabs give universities and businesses direct access to equipment, facilities and personnel at our labs. Sandia National Laboratories' Center for Collaboration and Commercialization is one great example that will help create an environment that nurtures collaboration and entrepreneurship.
Last year, the U.S. Department of Energy created a small pilot program to coordinate a voucher program for small businesses focused on renewable energy and energy efficiency. Startups like Albuquerque’s Pajarito Powder, which makes fuel cells, are using this program to mature technologies developed at our national labs to build high-tech manufacturing businesses with great potential to grow. I introduced legislation to expand on this tech maturation concept and encourage labs to more actively engage with the regional innovation systems where they are located.
The clean energy industry is one area where New Mexico stands to gain thousands of jobs in the coming years thanks to this type of collaboration. With our immense potential for both solar and wind and the brilliant energy innovators at our labs and small businesses, our state can and should be a major producer and exporter of clean energy technology and power.
We already have some great success stories. Array Technologies in Albuquerque has become the global leader in producing solar tracking systems – the racks that help solar panels follow the sun throughout the day. The company employs 211 New Mexico workers, up from 35 in 2010, and manufactures systems that have been used across the nation and around the world.
Workforce training programs like Central New Mexico Community College’s green construction technologies certificate program and the North American Wind Research and Training Center at Mesalands Community College in Tucumcari are preparing New Mexico students and workers for clean energy jobs.
New Mexico also plays a major role in supporting our national defense. On the Senate Armed Services Committee, I support our state’s military installations and ensure our men and women in uniform have necessary and up-to-date equipment to keep them safe as they work at home and abroad. That’s essential to protecting America’s interests, but it also has a major impact on our state’s economy.
Earlier this year, I announced a $25 million contract for Aquila, an Albuquerque company, to manufacture radiation reader kits for the U.S. Army National Guard. This investment in modern radiation detection devices will ensure members of our military are using the best available technology when they risk their lives on the battlefield and will also help preserve high-paying advanced manufacturing jobs at an inventive, homegrown company.
Raytheon, a national defense contractor, employs 170 people at Ktech in Albuquerque and also employs almost 300 workers at its manufacturing facility on the Navajo Nation near Farmington.
Earlier this year, I helped secure $10 million for Raytheon-Ktech to work with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Sandia to develop and build a directed energy weapons system.
I started my career in New Mexico working on directed energy technology at what is AFRL. Directed energy, which includes high-energy lasers and high-power microwaves, will play an increasingly critical role in the future of weapons systems for our military. New Mexico is well-positioned to lead the way in helping directed energy transition from research and development toward missions that help our military maintain superiority. That will mean new high-paying science and manufacturing jobs in the state.
New Mexico is at a critical juncture. We owe it to our children and our economy to make smart investments in education and target areas where we have the potential to create jobs and major new industries. By preparing our students and retraining our labor force for a lucrative high-tech job market, we can build pathways toward a more diverse future generation of innovators and entrepreneurs and create a sustainable and prosperous future for our state.
