MFI leads digital transformation of manufacturing

On April 29, 2019, the Manufacturing Futures Initiative (MFI) will host the inaugural Manufacturing Futures Forum at Carnegie Mellon University. The Forum, which is entitled “Leading the Digital Transformation,” will highlight the groundbreaking research, development and workforce training that is leading the digital transformation of manufacturing taking place across the southwest Pennsylvania region, the nation, and the world.

This invitation-only event will feature a keynote presentation by Ray Betler, who is President and CEO of Wabtec Corporation, an accomplished expert in the transportation industry, and a Carnegie Mellon alumnus. Wabtec Corporation, with headquarters located in the Pittsburgh region, recently completed a merger with GE Transportation to become the largest engineering/manufacturing supply company in the worldwide rail industry.  

The event will also include interactive panels with experts from industry, government, national organizations, and academia. These panels will address the Future of Additive Manufacturing, AI and Robotics for Manufacturing, and Future of Work for Manufacturing. The event will culminate with a research showcase featuring technology and policy research projects that are leading the revitalization of American manufacturing in the global marketplace.

“We are uniquely situated to help the Pittsburgh region fulfill its potential as a manufacturing hub of the future,” said Gary Fedder, faculty director of MFI and founding president of the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM). “By bringing corporate partners, regional startups, and workforce development leaders together for this one-day event, MFI will show how innovation in our areas of expertise will enable the future of manufacturing.”

We are uniquely situated to help the Pittsburgh region fulfill its potential as a manufacturing hub of the future.

Gary Fedder, Faculty Director, Manufacturing Futures Initiative

MFI is a leader in manufacturing innovation, with its unique culture of advanced collaboration driving both multidisciplinary manufacturing research inside the university and robust partnerships with industry, nonprofits, and government. Launched through a generous donation from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, MFI’s highly collaborative advanced manufacturing research ecosystem is catalyzing the convergence of research and development in manufacturing technologies, machine intelligence, and human values.

Along with the ARM, MFI’s dedication to revolutionizing manufacturing at all levels is evidenced by its recent investment in the Hazelwood Green Mill 19 facility. This cutting-edge facility is being constructed entirely within the enormous skeleton of the historic Pittsburgh steel mill known as Mill 19, located on the Hazelwood Green development site.

“MFI and ARM are leveraging our complementary strengths to anchor Mill 19 as a central hub for advanced collaboration in the manufacturing space,” said Sandra DeVincent Wolf, executive director of MFI and Carnegie Mellon’s NextManufacturing Center, which will also have a strong presence in the Mill 19 facility. “The Mill 19 location will act as a symbol of and provide a physical location for MFI’s and ARM’s commitment to collaboration and workforce development.”

For more information on ongoing MFI projects, scroll through the slideshow below: