The South Bend - Elkhart region, bolstered and inspired by its rich history in innovation, entrepreneurship, and fortitude and supported by a transformational Lilly Endowment grant, has taken the bold step to scale and formalize the regional innovation ecosystem with the launch of the Labs for Industry Futures and Transformation (LIFT) Initiative, and the associated iNDustry Labs at Notre Dame.

The LIFT Initiative brings together business, community and educational partners in new and innovative ways centered on creating a diversified economy of the future based on technology and advanced manufacturing. By connecting cutting-edge expertise, technologies, workforce development programs, and innovation-based facilities for collaboration across education, community and industry partners, the LIFT Initiative supports the region through the transformation to an increasingly digital and automated future, enhancing the current manufacturing base with new business models, technologies and tailored workforce training programs while accelerating new high- tech sector growth in the region. In addition to the implementation team, an executive steering committee as well as several regional advisory councils have been created to help inform strategic investments throughout the LIFT Initiative.