ASTRO names key officer to lead off Guam’s 3D printing venture
- Admin
- Jun 26
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 28
By Pacific Island Times News Staff
The Applied Science & Technology Research Organization of America, or ASTRO America, has hired a director who will oversee the launch of the 3D printing industry on Guam.
ASTRO named Alex Benham as director and general manager for the Guam Advanced Materials & Manufacturing Accelerator or GAMMA.
“Benham will relocate to Guam and oversee every aspect of GAMMA’s buildout, from designing and constructing the facility to deploying equipment, establishing manufacturing quality systems, and training the island’s first advanced manufacturing workforce,” ASTRO said in a press release.
Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero earlier this year announced that the Maritime Industrial Base Program office has signed a $40 million contract with ASTRO America to jumpstart the proposed 3D printing facility, also known as additive manufacturing, on Guam.
GAMMA aligns with the U.S. Navy’s goal to keep its Indo-Pacific forces at the forefront of advanced manufacturing, with its sights set on positioning Guam as a manufacturing and training hub for Navy operators in the region.
The project is designed to support Washington’s commitments to the AUKUS treaty, which seeks the integration of security and defense-related technology, industrial bases and supply chains of Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a forward-deployed manufacturing capability from the ground up, right where the Navy needs it most,” Benham said.
“Nothing like this exists on Guam today. We’re building a pipeline of local talent, trained on cutting-edge technologies, to support critical defense priorities while diversifying the island's economy,” he added.
The first phase of the project involves the construction of a proposed satellite campus at the University of Guam, estimated to cost $38 million.
The facility’s operations will include the education, manufacturing, post-processing, testing and evaluation capabilities necessary to produce finished products.
“Alex is the rare kind of leader who can build something from the ground up and make it sustainable – an individual who understands machines, software, systems and people,” said Neal Orringer, president of ASTRO America.
“There is virtually no existing advanced manufacturing infrastructure on Guam; under Alex’s leadership, GAMMA will change that. We are going to stand up an industrial base, build up a dedicated workforce and establish testing facilities in accordance with internationally recognized standards.”
According to ASTRO, Benham is a veteran of 3D Systems, Sigma Additive, Dyndrite and numerous advanced manufacturing organizations.
He has worked across nearly every major 3D printing platform, helped pioneer in-situ monitoring systems and algorithmic toolpathing process controls, and has led efforts for critical tools supporting defense and aerospace applications.
Sponsored by the Navy’s Maritime Industrial Base (MIB) Program office and BlueForge Alliance, GAMMA entails a three-pillar strategy.
First, it creates a mechanical engineering talent pipeline in Guam with new higher education capabilities.
Second, it establishes an industrial-scale part-production/prototyping facility in close proximity to the Navy’s point of need.
Third, it provides component inspection and validation capabilities in Guam to help end-users verify that ship parts developed on island are acceptable for Navy applications.
By providing on-island capacity to manufacture key components, GAMMA will cut lead times, minimize maintenance delays and increase naval readiness in the Indo-Pacific.
In addition to supporting Navy needs, GAMMA aims to attract suppliers across the broader MIB to establish operations on Guam, creating a whole ecosystem of on-island manufacturing, logistics, and workforce development.
The project is touted to bring long-term economic benefits through job creation, more education opportunities and expanded tax revenue.
In an earlier version of this story, Neal Orringer's photo was inadvertently captioned as "Alex Benham." Our sincere apologies.
