As national and international economies shift to smarter, cleaner, high-performance products and solutions, the Appalachian region - western Pennsylvania, northeast Ohio and West Virginia - is well-positioned to benefit from a changing market.

 

The Appalachian Smart Products Network (ASPN) initiative is designed to equip Upper Appalachia to meet increasing residential and commercial sector demand for the products and materials used to construct, renovate, maintain, and operate healthy, future-ready, energy-efficient buildings and infrastructure.

 

The project seeks to prepare the region to lead in designing and deploying the products, technologies, and services that deliver improved energy and water efficiency, increase on-site renewable energy, reduce carbon emissions, and connect buildings to a cleaner grid.

 

By strengthening the reliability and growing the scope of the region’s manufacturing supply chain in high-performance building products, ASPN will contribute to the regeneration of Upper Appalachia as it transitions from the extractive industries that once fueled its economy.

 

ASPN’s market analysis and pilot program were completed in 2024 and are guiding next steps as we pivot to implementation. The market analysis comprised data mapping and a market study of the regional product and supply chain ecosystem. It identifies gaps and opportunities to connect the producers, suppliers and manufacturers – big and small – involved in producing products and energy technologies critical to the buildings and infrastructure sector. The pilot program, completed in 2024, provided opportunities for four producers and manufacturers to learn about and receive training for pursuing life cycle assessments (LCAs) for their materials and products. Participating companies included: Berner Air Curtains, DMI Products, GatCreek, and SJ Morse.

 

The pilot program equipped these local manufacturers to develop products with less environmental impact, creating new jobs and enabling them to pursue business with builders, architects, designers and developers looking to deploy green building products and practices in their projects.

 

ASPN will also position manufacturers to respond to market opportunities being propelled by the federal Build America Buy America program and associated federal funding for energy-efficient, low-emissions manufacturing, products, materials, and projects.

 

These include the U.S. EPA Program for Low Embodied Construction Materials, a product label program to boost clean American manufacturing and help federal purchasers and other buyers find and buy cleaner, more climate-friendly construction materials and products. 

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What are the goals of ASPN?

 

• Strengthen the region’s resiliency by growing domestic manufacturing and assembly and piloting new technologies for decarbonizing the built environment

• Create a strong, reliable regional supply chain for smart products that support healthy, high-performing buildings (i.e., homes, schools, businesses, and cultural institutions) 

• Create an innovative economy that is intricately connected to regional markets

• Transform and reposition Appalachia as it emerges from a past marked by the rise and fall of extractive industry, and the social, economic and environmental toll left in its wake

• Grow economic, workforce and skills training opportunities

• Ensure Upper Appalachia does not lose out on rapidly expanding opportunities in the residential and commercial high performance building sectors

• Prepare the next generation of manufacturing business owners for the new economy

 

Why are these goals important?

 

Upper Appalachia is a place of authenticity, pride and resilience. These attributes can be seen in the tenacious entrepreneurs and faculty who are tackling legacy infrastructure challenges by leveraging next generation technologies, supply chain insights, materials and energy production capabilities. 

 

The people of Appalachia are strong, but the region is losing population and talent as young people depart and local business owners retire. It is a region rich in assets but lacking in coordination as it works to reinvent itself in a changing economy.

 

People need hope to stay, and even the most experienced companies need assistance in identifying new market opportunities, supply chain development, and resources to support the development of new IP.  

 

This project presents an opportunity to continue Upper Appalachia’s economic transformation by creating the products and technologies needed to meet the demands and opportunities presented by a changing market.

 

Who will benefit from the project?

 

This collaborative effort stands to positively impact individuals, communities and local economies by providing opportunities for workforce development and other education programming that supports the manufacturing of sustainable and regenerative building products.  

 

By creating a supply chain of products with a lifecycle that starts in Upper Appalachia, this project will benefit local economies, communities, and residents, including:
 

• Producers

• Manufacturers

• Job Seekers

• Entrepreneurs/Startups

• Building Owners

• Architecture, Engineering, Design, and Construction Professionals 

• Families

 

Who is leading this initiative?

 

The initial phase of this initiative is being coordinated by Green Building Alliance of Pittsburgh, in partnership with West Virginia University, including WVU Extension and Vantage Ventures; Pittsburgh-based Catalyst Connection; and the Youngstown Business Incubator and BRITE Energy Innovators in Ohio. 

 

ASPN is funded by a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) through ARC’s Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies (ARISE), which drives large-scale economic transformation through multi-state collaborative projects across Appalachia, together with match funding support from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, a regional philanthropy serving West Virginia and Southwestern Pennsylvania.