MAY 7, 2025 — The Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CyManII) at UTSA has launched its latest enterprise, the Lone Star Cyber Forge (LSCF), a technology hub that will drive the commercialization of the technology CyManII produces through its research and development.
The LSCF aims to position South Texas as the global epicenter for cybersecurity and advanced manufacturing technologies. Recent studies reveal that 60% of manufacturing companies have experienced a cyber-attack and 80% have critical vulnerabilities.
In response to the growing cybersecurity risks that threaten the United States’ digital manufacturing landscape, the LSCF will bring together a diverse group of stakeholders from industry, academia, government and economic development organizations to develop and deploy innovative solutions that secure U.S. manufacturers for decades.
The Cyber Forge will lead in the primary distribution of commercial applications of CyManII’s and its partnering institutes’ research and development. These technologies will benefit U.S. manufacturers who are increasingly becoming targets of cyber-attacks.
Leading CyManII’s new endeavor is Ed McCormick, regional innovation officer. McCormick will serve as the driving force behind the LSCF mission and the primary point of contact for its partners, stakeholders and the community.
“The U.S. desperately needs a secure and resilient supply chain and manufacturing base to protect our country’s interests,” McCormick said. “CyManII and the Cyber Forge are answering that call by transforming Texas into a global hub for innovation around cybersecurity-driven manufacturing and ensuring the state is set up to deliver long-term national security and economic prosperity.”
Through strategic planning, targeted investments and collaborative efforts, the LSCF is creating a thriving ecosystem that attracts businesses, creates high-quality jobs and ensures the region’s long-term competitiveness in the global manufacturing landscape.
“We want the Lone Star Cyber Forge to have a strong link to national security and economic vitality well into the future,” said Howard Grimes, CyManII CEO. “We want to leverage the power of investments in innovations, not only in cybersecurity but also in other aspects of advanced manufacturing.”
Currently, the LSCF is looking for manufacturers that are interested in participating in a pilot technology transfer and commercialization project. This will provide a forum for the LSCF to fine-tune its technology transfer strategies to enable the successful integration of new technologies in a commercial manufacturing environment. At the same time, participating manufacturers will benefit from early access to cutting-edge CyManII technology designed to secure their supply chains and manufacturing operations, while also improving productivity and reducing system downtime.
Once mature, the LSCF will launch a process where interested parties can request and be vetted for future partnerships.
Susan Ipri-Brown is a strategic partnership specialist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Office of Advanced Manufacturing (OAM), which serves as the Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office for Manufacturing USA. CyManII is one of 18 Manufacturing Innovation Institutes (MII) in the nation.
“With the Cyber Forge, CyManII is doing exactly what Manufacturing USA was intended to do: create a network and then figure out how to expand it for the nation,” Ipri-Brown said. “They will be able to take these technologies into a strong region and then replicate that in different places. We would love to see this as a model as we move forward.”
The LSCF is a recipient of a 2023 Tech Hub Strategy Development Grant through the Economic Development Agency (EDA).
The U.S. Department of Energy launched CyManII in 2020 as part of the greater Manufacturing USA Network to work across the manufacturing industry, research and academic institutions, and federal government agencies to develop technologies that enable the security and growth of the U.S. manufacturing sector. Simultaneously, CyManII is continuing its collaborative research to design and implement next-generation architectures that are cyber-inspired and secure by design. It is housed at UTSA.
