American manufacturing’s next chapter is being written one region at a time, and Northeast Ohio is one of the places setting the standard.

In a region like theirs, the institutions and programs are moving in sync, and that builds into something bigger than any plant could pull off alone. That’s why we’re hitting the road on the Rust Belt Renaissance tour to find more places where modern technology and industrial innovation are helping to revive the area. On the first stop, we’re live from Collision Bend Brewing in Cleveland with seven leaders from across the Northeast Ohio manufacturing community, working out how a region of 7,700 manufacturers turns local action into national impact.

We split the conversation into three short parts: Matt Duplin (Manager, TransDigm Advanced Manufacturing Center, Cleveland State University), Kyle Zeller (NSF Engine), and Adam Artman (Executive Director, Manufacturing Works) open with what regional action actually looks like on the ground, covering the role of public universities, federal programs like the $160 million NSF Engine award, and the peer-to-peer learning behind the Manu Future program.

Greg Schumacher (Director of Manufacturing, NOVAGARD) and Mike Yost (Manufacturing Excellence Program, Manufacturing Works) turn the theory into a case study, walking through the CESMII Smart Manufacturing Roadmap that Greg’s team finished in six weeks at zero cost.

Jillian Kupchella (Director of Marketing, CESMII) and Jonathan Wise (Chief Technology Architect, CESMII) close the conversation with what comes next nationally, including the three technology needs that every digital project should think through.

This episode is for any manufacturer wondering how to make the most of the resources closest to them.

In this episode, find out:

What ‘regional action’ means in a manufacturing ecosystem and why local organisations like Manufacturing Works act as the connective tissue between manufacturers, universities, and workforce providers
How a public university with an 80% local student body and a dedicated advanced manufacturing centre creates a homegrown engineering pipeline that stays in the region
What an NSF Engine award is, what it takes for a region to compete for one, and how Northeast Ohio became one of fifteen teams in the running for $160 million in federal funding
Why peer-to-peer learning through the Manu Future programme moves the needle on technology adoption far more than any vendor pitch
The ‘secret ingredient’ each panellist credits for Northeast Ohio’s manufacturing density of 7,700 manufacturers, from collaboration to history to location
How CESMII is exporting the same toolset and language to other regions including Western Pennsylvania, Maryland, Los Angeles, and upstate New York
The three technology imperatives Jonathan Wise lays out for any manufacturer deploying new tech – modelling data, contextualising data, and making data interoperable through tools like CESMII’s I3X

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Tweetable Quotes:

"We're a public university, and so we should be servicing the public and the manufacturers in our region. The advanced manufacturing center is that space." — Matt Duplin
"Something like this doesn't just get spun up overnight. It's the result of years and years of work together. It speaks to the confidence that our federal government has in our region to compete on a global scale." — Kyle Zeller
"What's unique about Northeast Ohio, every time I meet with someone, is always the same. It's this willingness to share. It's the willingness for the sum to be greater than the parts." — Adam Artman
"We have connected our PLCs, and that data — real time, in engineers' hands, in operations' hands — we have unleashed the data. We are making decisions faster, smarter, with the right information." — Greg Schumacher
"We talk about smart manufacturing like a destination. It's really just a tool for the leaders to lead. The leaders are the ones that own it and drive it." — Mike Yost
"I feel very fortunate to live in a region that is so put together. From a national scale, we're hoping to implement things like this across the nation." — Jillian Kupchella
"Technology is an enabler. It's a means to an end. It is not the end. Just buying technology isn't gonna solve your problems." — Jonathan Wise

Links & mentions:

Manufacturing Works, the membership-based organisation that serves as the connective tissue across Northeast Ohio’s manufacturing ecosystem
CESMII, the Smart Manufacturing Institute and national authority on smart manufacturing, behind the roadmap toolset and the I3X interoperability framework
NSF Engine, the federal place-based innovation programme behind the $160 million regional award Northeast Ohio is competing for
ManuFuture, the peer-to-peer manufacturing learning programme developed in partnership with Purdue University
TransDigm Advanced Manufacturing Center at Cleveland State University, the research-oriented, public-university partner serving the Northeast Ohio engineering pipeline
MAGNET, the Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network supporting manufacturers across the region
Tri-C (Cuyahoga Community College), source of the grant that fully funded NOVAGARD’s Smart Manufacturing Roadmap
NOVAGARD, silicone adhesives, sealants, and PVC foam manufacturer featured as the case study
Fathom, sponsor of the Rust Belt Renaissance tour and a network of seven regional manufacturing companies

Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.