October 5, 2017

Purdue forum to examine digital challenges for manufacturing

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Business leaders will meet for the Purdue Manufacturing Forum 2017 to discuss how to prepare for the new digital challenges facing industry.

The two-day forum, “Catching the Digital Wave,” begins Oct. 17 and brings together representatives from government, industry and academia to examine the issues of the fourth industrial revolution.

The event will focus around five key topics: The Digital Wave, Catching the Digital Wave, Strategies to Implement Digital Manufacturing Technologies, Creating an Education 4.0 pipeline and Envisioning a Sustainable Plan for IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) Competitiveness.

Purdue University Discovery Park and the Indiana Next Generation Manufacturing Competitiveness Center (IN-MaC) at Purdue are sponsoring the event at Shively Club in Ross-Ade Pavilion.

Nathan W. Hartman, Dauch Family Professor of Advanced Manufacturing and interim head of computer graphics technology at Purdue, said the digital wave and other key topics are potential competitive advantages to companies, but also poses substantial economic, technical and workforce challenges.

“The Purdue Manufacturing Forum will provide a venue by which these challenges can be articulated as well as illumination of a path forward around the adoption of digital manufacturing technologies and the preparation and support of a 21st-century workforce,” said Hartman, co-executive director of IN-MaC.

Speakers will gather in a town hall-style format for the forum, presenting the topics and entertaining audience questions. Presentations will include the global manufacturing landscape, federal policies and regional resources to support manufacturing prominence.

Speakers will include Mike Barnes, associate chief operating officer for employer engagement, Indiana Department of Workforce Development.

John W. Sutherland, professor and Fehsenfeld Family Head of Environmental and Ecological Engineering, said Purdue and IN-MaC organized the event as a service to industry.

“IN-MaC provides a vehicle for the nearly 100 manufacturing-oriented faculty at Purdue to support industry needs via education/training, technology adoption and applied research consortia,” said Sutherland, co-executive director of IN-MaC. “Many companies from across Indiana and the rest of the nation have already benefited from IN-MaC’s expertise.”

Registration for the event is open through October 10 at: https://www.purdue.edu/in-mac/fall-forum-17.html

Writer: Brian L. Huchel, 765-494-2084, bhuchel@purdue.edu  

Sources: Nathan Hartman, 765-496-6104, nhartman@purdue.edu

John Sutherland, 765-496-9697, jwsuther@purdue.edu

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