Guest Editorial Debbie Holton
Director of Events and Industry Strategy Society of Manufacturing Engineers Member Since 2005
SMESpeaks The Society of Manufacturing Engineers Supporting Manufacturing Innovation S
hifting the innovation model to create new partnerships, connect with the market and prioritize workforce devel- opment is not easy. Our industry has spent many years building an enormous, but marginally effective, structure around manufacturing research and technology development. We are emotionally invested in what we’ve built, and therefore psychologically blocked from seeing what needs to change for the future. We must break free and continue to evolve. A systemic approach to innovation is needed so that we can realize the promise of new technologies and processes to advance our industry. This approach includes funding basic and applied research, transitioning technology to industry and equipping our workforce with the skills to utilize it. Over the last few years, the US government has devel-
oped a strategic approach to supporting manufacturing innovation—a plan to return the US to a dominant posi- tion worldwide in advanced manufacturing. It started with PCAST—The President’s Council on Advanced Science and Technology. This group created AMP—The Advanced Manu- facturing Partnership, which recommended the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI), a series of national institutes.
The pilot for NNMI is the National Additive Manufactur- ing Innovation Institute (NAMII) in Youngstown, OH; NAMII launched in August 2012. Its goal is to address additive manufacturing/3-D printing technology so that it can be more widely accelerated into production. NAMII’s purpose is not just to discover technology breakthroughs, but more impor- tantly, to transition them into the marketplace and to prepare the future workforce with the necessary skills. In the meantime, many state and regional organizations have been feverishly building partnerships and alliances within the manufacturing space. Universities, corporations,
nonprofits and economic development groups have been building their own regional clusters to position themselves for the NNMI going forward. Some industrious organizations, like the University of Illinois, have decided not to wait and are cre- ating their own institutes. More than $100 million in funding is expected for the institute.
It follows that there will be others like the University of Illinois that will raise their flags in the spirit of manufacturing innovation, apply funds, assemble the best and brightest, and start turning out projects. The real key to driving manu- facturing innovation and new discoveries, however, is not just partnering with the right people and organizations, but agree- ing to a new way of doing business. Creating new partnerships is important, but we must also drive new types of relationships that better connect with the marketplace to transition technol- ogy and educate people. There’s a reason that the technology transition process
is called “the valley of death.” Too many projects and tech- nologies die of starvation before they are commercialized. By engaging economic development organizations, Manu- facturing Extension Partnerships (MEPs), manufacturers and the supply chain throughout the process, we ensure that the market needs and can implement the technologies being developed.
As important as transitioning technology is a workforce that can operate and produce it. Having a graduate student work on a project or creating a new university course is not the goal—it’s the minimum. Community colleges that graduate technicians, K–12 programs that get kids interested in manu- facturing, and educating parents about lucrative and challeng- ing industry careers are all key to a well-equipped workforce. Collaboration between industry, government and education is essential for successful innovation. One opportunity to forge
May 2013 |
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