Last updated on April 28th, 2026 at 10:28 pm
Georgia Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing, or Georgia AIM, has received one of the highest research awards at the Georgia Institute of Technology, the Outstanding Achievement in Research Program Impact.
The award, given during a celebratory luncheon on April 24, is one of six 2026 Institute Research Awards given by Georgia Tech’s Office of the Executive Vice President for Research. The awards honor achievements in research engagement, innovation, faculty advising, and impact.
Georgia AIM is a statewide coalition led by Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI2) and the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI) to develop and deploy AI talent and innovation in manufacturing. Georgia AIM’s coalition includes universities, technical colleges, nonprofits, and regional organizations.
“It is an incredible experience to collaborate with technology and economic development leaders around the state to lead the nation and the world in AI for manufacturing,” said Aaron Stebner, Georgia AIM co-director and the Eugene C. Gwaltney Jr. Chair in Manufacturing at Georga Tech.
Launched in the fall of 2022, Georgia AIM is a four-year, $65 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration and is the largest coalition-led grant ever awarded to Georgia Tech, incorporating 16 projects and sub-projects. With additional state participation and private sector support, Georgia AIM now includes over $100 million in funding and projects in communities across the state.
“We are truly honored to receive this high level of recognition from our peers at Georgia Tech,” said Donna Ennis, Georgia AIM’s co-director and associate vice president for community-based programs at EI2. “Georgia AIM was designed to work alongside communities to meet their needs when it comes to incorporating AI in manufacturing, and receiving the Research Program Impact Award shows our work has meaning and is changing lives.”
Georgia AIM’s large coalition connects communities and manufacturers with AI and smart technologies, and it is this network of projects that makes Georgia AIM unique. These projects offer businesses and communities custom-built solutions for adopting new technology. For example, in Augusta Georgia AIM supports cybersecurity training for students, who then provide security analyses for small businesses.
In its award application, the Georgia AIM coalition counted many achievements on and off campus, including:
- Launching workforce development programs spanning K-12 engagement, technical credentials, and professional education;
- Graduating nearly 100 students from advanced manufacturing and AI programs at Technical College System of Georgia campuses;
- Launching the nation’s first Registered Tech Apprenticeship program;
- Providing STEM activities, such as coding camps, robotics, and advanced manufacturing, to more than 700 students in Middle and Southwest Georgia;
- Guiding hundreds of tech-forward startups to their next phase in the manufacturing sector;
- Building a commercialization pipeline linking faculty research, student innovation, startups, and corporate partners;
- Training hundreds of municipal employees to optimize AI while developing regional AI strategic plans across the state;
- Transforming Georgia Tech’s Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility into a national facility for inventing, derisking, and maturing manufacturing and materials; the facility officially opens this spring.
“Georgia AIM’s impact is grounded in collaboration — universities, industry, nonprofits and communities working together to shape the future of advanced manufacturing in Georgia,” said EI2 Vice President David Bridges. This recognition underscores what a coordinated statewide effort can accomplish.”
Georgia AIM was initiated in 2021 by Bridges; Tom Kurfess, executive director of GTMI; Stebner, and George White, Georgia Tech’s executive director for strategic partnerships. The initiative received initial funding through a $500,000 planning grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
Because research covers a range of activities — from lab experiments to commercialization and use by the public — the annual awards recognize the many facets of work in this area. The peer-driven nomination process emphasizes measurable contributions and leadership across disciplines.
“The strength of Georgia Tech’s research enterprise begins with the talented people who push discovery forward every day,” said Tim Lieuwen, executive vice president for Research. “Congratulations to this year’s honorees, who demonstrate what it means to turn bold ideas into real-world impact, advancing knowledge from fundamental science to commercial and community applications. With these awards, we celebrate their leadership, creativity, and dedication to serving the public good.”
Read more about this year’s Institute Research Award winners.