BATON ROUGE — Louisiana Innovation has secured $1.5 million a year for five years from the National Institute of Standards and Technology to expand Louisiana Innovation Labs.

With state and partner matching, the total investment will be more than $15 million. The funding will help small and medium-sized manufacturers across Louisiana connect with advanced technologies and technical expertise.

Louisiana Innovation Labs will focus on industries important to the state, like energy, agribusiness, aerospace, life sciences and logistics. The program will help manufacturers adopt technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, automation and advanced materials.

The statewide network will include universities, technical colleges and industry partners. Earlier this year, Louisiana Innovation connected Persona AI with SSE Steel Fabrication in St. Bernard Parish for a robotics project on the production floor.

Manufacturers will get assessments to identify technology opportunities and support to move projects from planning to deployment. Over five years, Louisiana Innovation will track technology adoption and economic outcomes to measure the program’s impact.