Helping Manufacturers Adopt Smart Manufacturing
VSMA exists because the technology Virginia manufacturers need is already available. Most of them don't know it, can't access it, or can't afford to figure it out on their own.
The Problem
Virginia’s small and mid-sized manufacturers are under pressure from every direction: rising energy costs, aging equipment, cybersecurity threats, workforce shortages, and increasing competition from facilities that have already modernized.
Smart manufacturing technology exists and is increasingly affordable. But for most manufacturing leaders running lean operations, the path to adoption is unclear, financially out of reach, and risky without expert support.
VSMA was built to change that.
The Federal Mandate
GENEDGE is Virginia’s only manufacturing and economic development organization partnered with the Manufacturing Extension Partnership™, a national public-private program that helps small and medium-sized manufacturers grow through educational resources, industry connections, and operational best practices. In 2024, GENEDGE was awarded $2.6 million from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains to establish the Virginia Smart Manufacturing Accelerator program.
VSMA is one of only 12 such programs funded nationally, selected as part of a federal initiative to build the capacity and infrastructure needed to accelerate smart manufacturing adoption among small and mid-sized manufacturers across the country.
The mandate: demystify smart manufacturing technology, reduce the risk of adoption, and connect Virginia manufacturers with the resources, expertise, and networks they need to compete.
The Answer
Manufacturers adopt technology when they can see it working, understand what it costs, and believe it will work in their operation. Every VSMA program is built to educate and support SMMs with just that.
The Roadshow Series brings free, full-day events to manufacturers’ own regions. Each event includes live technology demonstrations, expert instruction from Virginia’s top engineering universities, and a business case conversation grounded in real ROI.
The Manufacturing Performance Diagnostics™ assessment gives every interested manufacturer a free, non-disruptive, expert-led evaluation of their specific facility, including a prioritized roadmap and identified funding opportunities.
The Advanced Manufacturing Technician Apprenticeship Pathway addresses the workforce dimension directly — being built now around real gaps manufacturers report, like welding, instrumentation, and blueprint reading.
The entire program is free to Virginia manufacturers. VSMA is funded to serve, not to sell.
Our Values
Innovate:
VSMA keeps Virginia manufacturers connected to applied research and real-world deployment experience from Virginia's leading engineering universities. What's new in smart manufacturing isn't theoretical here. It's running in a lab, taught by faculty who can show you exactly what it means for your floor.
Compete:
Smart manufacturing is not a future investment. It's a current competitive requirement. VSMA helps you get there on your timeline, without requiring you to build the expertise from scratch.
Grow:
VSMA connects manufacturers with grant funding, partner networks, and a clear implementation roadmap. The goal is to build the operational foundation that supports long-term growth, not just adopt technology.
Our Partner Network
VSMA is delivered through a statewide network of Virginia’s leading research universities and institutions. Each partner anchors specific program content and brings deep subject matter expertise in smart manufacturing to the Roadshow Series and diagnostic assessments.
Virginia Tech
Lead for IIoT sensor deployment, smart manufacturing curriculum development, data analytics, digital twins, and live technology demonstration infrastructure. VT faculty and engineering programs provide the academic backbone of the Roadshow Series.
Old Dominion University
Anchors digital technologies, simulation, digital twin applications, and advanced manufacturing technology content. ODU faculty lead Roadshow content in the Tidewater/Hampton Roads region.
Virginia State University
Lead for energy efficiency, compressed air optimization, and process improvement programming. VSU anchors VSMA’s energy-focused content and regional events in the Petersburg area.
New College Institute (NCI), Martinsville
Host institution for VSMA’s shared training facility and advanced manufacturing laboratory in Martinsville, and VSMA’s home base in Southwest Virginia.
GENEDGE Alliance
Virginia’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership and the operating entity of VSMA. GENEDGE coordinates program delivery, conducts Manufacturing Performance Diagnostics™ assessments, and provides the connecting tissue between university partners and Virginia’s manufacturing base.