A Case Western Reserve University-led coalition has advanced to the final round of a major federal competition that could bring up to $160 million to Northeast Ohio over 10 years.

NEO-SMART, short for Northeast Ohio Strengthening Manufacturing for American Resilience through Technology, was named one of 15 finalists in the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines program. The consortium emerged from 29 semifinalists selected in July.

The NSF Engines program is designed to drive economic growth, enhance national security, and create jobs by advancing critical technologies, including semiconductors, artificial intelligence, advanced materials and biotechnology.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for the region and exactly what research universities should do,” Case We

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