EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) -- The University of Texas at El Paso opened its new $80 million Advanced Manufacturing and Aerospace Center on Friday, April 11. The AMAC building was dedicated at a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by more than 300 people, including El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson, El Paso Co unty Judge Ricardo Samaniego, the University of Texas System Board of Regents Chairman Kevin P. Eltife and UT System Chancellor James B. Milliken. Photos by Shaun Felice/KTSM Photos by Shaun Felice/KTSM Here are what some attendees said: “In the 29 laboratories housed in this building, our faculty and students will advance discovery and drive innovation that contributes to our national defense and economic growth,” UTEP President Heather Wilson said. “We are grateful for the investment from UT System and the Board of Regents in the future of our students and our community.” “The Board of Regents and the whole UT System are deeply committed to the success of UTEP,” Eltife said. “AMAC is just one of the many long-term investments we have made in UTEP and in El Paso, and we look forward to continuing this strong support.”  “UTEP is a national leader in aerospace engineering and advanced manufacturing,” Milliken said. “This new building is just a small part of UT System’s commitment to UTEP excellence and growing El Paso’s role in both the advanced manufacturing and aerospace industries.” “UTEP is a critical partner in providing both the research innovation and top-tier engineering workforce needed to grow El Paso’s economic frontiers,” Johnson said. “The AMAC further solidifies El Paso’s emerging leadership in advanced manufacturing and bolsters the region as a significant aerospace hub.” The AMAC building will house UTEP’s Aerospace Center and the W.M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation, both part of UTEP’s College of Engineering. The Keck Center contains "one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of additive manufacturing equipment in an academic setting, with more than 70 state-of-the-art advanced 3D printers," UTEP said in its news release. The Keck Center has ongoing research and development projects with more than 100 industry partners and 10 federal agencies, including the Army and Air Force Research Labs, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin. The Aerospace Center has conducted "pioneering research" with NASA, the Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of Energy and other agencies in areas like propulsion, unmanned aerial vehicles, spacecraft design and the fusion of artificial intelligence, machine learning and advanced materials science to accelerate discoveries for space, defense and industry, UTEP said. The AMAC building was funded by the UT System Board of Regents and construction began with a ground-breaking ceremony in the fall of 2022. The Bhutanese-style building was designed by architectural firm Ayers Saint Gross and built by Sundt Construction in collaboration with UTEP’s Planning and Construction Department. Fifty UTEP alumni were among the more than 1,000 people involved in the construction effort. ...read more read less