Columbus cuts ribbon on Advanced Machine and Vehicle Innovation Center

COLUMBUS, Ind. - State and local leaders gathered in Columbus on Tuesday, July 21, to celebrate the official grand opening of the Advanced Machine and Vehicle Innovation Center (AMVIC), a new regional hub for next‑generation commercial vehicle, machine, and power systems innovation.   

Mayor Mary Ferdon and Gov. Mike Braun delivered keynote remarks highlighting the center’s importance to Indiana’s advanced energy research, economic development, and workforce pipeline. The event marked the launch of a premier public‑private ecosystem dedicated to testing, validating, and deploying cutting‑edge technologies.   

AMVIC's opening follows a milestone investment of $1.07 million from the Columbus Redevelopment Commission for training materials, equipment, and workforce development. Those funds will be disbursed over the next five years.   

Additional support includes $1 million in READI money and over $7 million in private investment. The total funding for the center is just over $9.1 million.   

Mayor Ferdon emphasized the center’s role in supporting Columbus’s identity as Indiana’s STEM capital and said, “Workforce development is the linchpin for making innovations in this area of work. We are a manufacturing town, but we are only successful if we have skilled and well-trained employees to perform the jobs.”   

The grand opening featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony and guided tours of AMVIC, which is positioned to have a major impact on the region and the state.