CCAT launches advanced composites technology center partnership with Pratt & Whitney, Goodwin University and the State of Connecticut

“This is as vital to Connecticut as it gets: this is about technology, and it’s about Connecticut leading in technology. It shows leadership, and it shows commitment, and that is what Pratt & Whitney has been about for decades. They put their stake in the ground to show people this is where they are going to develop their [polymer matrix] composites technology,” Ron Angelo, President and CEO of CCAT, said today. “There are almost 4,000 manufacturing companies in Connecticut that need skilled workers, and this center will help ensure that our state will have the workforce it needs to stay competitive.”

The Advanced Composites Technology Center is an investment involving CCAT, the State, Goodwin University and Pratt & Whitney. Composites make up integral parts of jet engines, and having this center located so closely to Pratt’s campus will be a tremendous benefit to Pratt and its customers according to Jennifer Belardi, Associate Director, Advanced Commercial Engines, Pratt & Whitney.

“The Advanced Composites Technology Center will allow Pratt & Whitney to bring in [polymer matrix] material suppliers, universities and our industry partners into one collaborative centralized location,” Belardi said. “Inside the new state-of-the-art laboratory on Goodwin’s campus, a robotic arm will be making very complex-shaped parts, layer by layer, so the engineer can evaluate in real-time if there is an issue with a part and adjust it immediately.”

Connecticut Chief Manufacturing Officer Colin H. Cooper said that 92% of the state’s exports come from manufacturing, totaling $15 billion, and this partnership will continue to strengthen Connecticut’s manufacturing advantage by creating an educational path that supports a robust supply chain throughout the state.

“This is a true public-private partnership, with Goodwin University and Pratt & Whitney across the street from each other, the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology nearby and then support provided by the state of Connecticut—by working together, this is helping to keep us at the cutting edge,” Cooper said.

Mark Scheinberg, President of Goodwin University, said this new center will make Connecticut a “magnet for advanced engineering people across the country.”

“They’ll all come here,” Scheinberg said. “Jobs in engineering are so attractive, and you have a lot of brilliant young minds coming together on this Advanced Polymer Matrix Composites Technology Center.”