Register Today: U.S. Smart Manufacturing Interoperability Summit
Join us for this important forum to determine how we move beyond the historic data fundamentals and architectures of the past 30 years – to a future marked by enormous innovation and productivity growth. This will be a practical deep dive on the future of OT/IT interoperability for Smart Manufacturing Operations and Supply Chains.
This Summit is a collaborative, international initiative to shine the spotlight on the necessary building blocks, competencies, and capabilities related to modernizing our approach to OT/IT data engineering. We will explore the value, the challenges/risks, and the best practices on the journey to interoperability. We will showcase the capabilities, explore the relevant standards, and unveil how open APIs can unlock the full potential of industrial data and AI at scale!
Join us in Detroit, Cleveland or Chicago as we bring industry leaders together to understand just how important interoperability is on our journey to productivity and competitiveness!
We’re proud to share that CESMII community leader and longtime industry advocate Jim Wetzel has been named the 2025 Digital Transformation Leadership Award winner by the Manufacturing Leadership Council (MLC), the digital transformation division of the National Association of Manufacturers.
Presented during the MLC’s Rethink conference in Marco Island, Florida, this prestigious recognition celebrates Jim’s decades of impact driving innovation, championing digital transformation, and fostering collaboration across manufacturing ecosystems. His vision and leadership continue to shape the path forward for Smart Manufacturing, and this award is a powerful testament to his enduring influence.
Smart Manufacturing Executive Council Visits Capitol Hill
This month, members of the Smart Manufacturing Executive Council (SMEC) – co-led by CESMII and SME – traveled to Washington, D.C. to advocate for policies that will help strengthen the U.S. competitiveness through #SmartManufacturing.
In meetings with bipartisan leaders across both chambers—including offices of Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Sen. Peter Welch, Sen. Maggie Hassan, Rep. Burgess Owens, Rep. Gus Bilirakis, Rep. Bobby Scott, and Rep. Tim Walberg—we presented a bold case for why Smart Manufacturing is critical to America’s economic and national security.
💡 Our message was clear: The U.S. cannot afford to fall further behind in productivity and global competitiveness. It’s time for a coordinated national strategy that accelerates Smart Manufacturing adoption through:
💵 Tax incentives to accelerate and reward investment in Smart Manufacturing 👷 A national program to upskill frontline workers as Digital Natives (Citizen OT/IT Technologists) 🌐 Develop standards-based, digital infrastructure to enable a Manufacturing Supply Chain Data Exchange
The SMEC is leading this charge, representing the ‘Voice of Industry’, and providing real-world, practical strategies, guardrails and policies to achieve this mission.
With varied backgrounds and pathways into advanced manufacturing careers, Modern Makers are individuals whose sense of purpose embodies the Manufacturing USA mission to secure the future of U.S. manufacturing through innovation, education, and collaboration. They are apprentices, engineers, entrepreneurs, and scientists drawn from Manufacturing USA institutes and their member companies.
The Modern Makers program debuted in 2023. This year, we will highlight 28 individuals, making Modern Makers a cornerstone of the Manufacturing USA network’s education and workforce development initiatives. We hope the Modern Makers we celebrate will inspire future generations of advanced manufacturing talent needed by U.S. industry.
Click on the images below to meet the new Modern Makers’ inspiring stories and share them with your community!
🚨 Last Chance to Register: CESMII's Smart Manufacturing Certification
Courses Start July 7, 2025
Time is running out to secure your spot in CESMII's upcoming 8-week online certification course designed for consultants, advisors, and innovation champions in manufacturing. Don’t miss this opportunity to:
✅ Master the Smart Manufacturing Acceleration Framework Build strategic roadmaps that drive transformation using CESMII's proven six-part framework.
✅ Engage in Hands-On Projects with Expert Mentors Work on real-world scenarios to assess and plan organizational success with guided expertise.
✅ Earn a Recognized Certification Boost your credibility as a Certified Smart Manufacturing Roadmap Professional and join an exclusive network of professionals.
📅 Details: • Course Dates: July 7 - September 2 • Commitment: ~6-8 hours/week • Format: Live interactive sessions (recordings available)
📢 Seats are limited! Enroll now to advance your career and lead the way in Smart Manufacturing.
How to Develop Micro-Credentials for Faster Education on Emerging Advanced Manufacturing Technology
Advanced technologies have emerged to increase manufacturers’ productivity. However, manufacturers depend on technical colleges to skill their workforce to implement these advances. By aligning training programs to industry-vetted standard micro-credentials, colleges are providing new affordable and faster pathways to acquisition of skills that stack towards higher degrees and higher paying jobs. CESMII, the national Smart Manufacturing Institute; SACA, the Smart Automation Certification Alliance; and Amatrol, a leader in career and technical education (CTE) training, will be sharing how colleges are accelerating micro-credential-based training programs and states are developing pathways from CTE to 2- and 4-year degrees.
Speakers: Conrad Leiva, VP Ecosystem and Workforce Development, CESMII, Los Angeles, CA; Sue Smith, Executive Program Director, SACA (Smart Automation Certification Alliance), Louisville, KY; Paul Perkins, President, Amatrol, Jeffersonville, IN
Designing Better Namespaces for OT & IT Convergence
Our Smart Manufacturing Architecture Imperatives Workshop is now live to stream — and attendees are calling it "impressive," "essential," and "packed with insights."
💬 What They’re Saying: “Thank you for the knowledge and insights! I appreciated the diverse perspectives and organizations who participated from throughout the manufacturing data, IT/OT, and software industries.”
“Great session. Impressive goal and progress! CESMII is targeting an essential subject.”
“Nice session. Good overview of CESMII followed by demonstration and panel discussion.”
🎯 What You’ll Learn: - The SM Imperatives shaping future-ready manufacturing - How to modernize your data architecture and reduce system complexity - What open APIs, standards, and interoperability really mean in practice
Resilient and flexible biopharmaceutical supply networks: strengthening the vaccine supply chain through a manufacturing supply chain data exchange
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed important flaws in the inbound supply chain for vaccines. NIIMBL and CESMII are working with key stakeholders to develop a means for vaccine manufacturers and suppliers to share information securely for improved supply chain tracking, resilience, and optimization.
Scalable Curricula for Smart Manufacturing Shop Floor
Public-Private Partners Develop Novel Smart Manufacturing Training Course
Project Objective: The goal of this project is to create a modular and scalable curriculum that allows students of diverse backgrounds to learn in a hands-on manner how Industry 4.0 technologies and data-driven analytics are applied in smart manufacturing systems.
New Course
Developed and taught new WVU Industrial Engineering course IENG493C/IENG593B
100+
Over 100 high school and middle school students participated in summer Engineering camps.
Why Smart Manufacturing: What Brought Us Here Won’t Get Us There With Special Guest Jim Davis
In this episode of Practitioners Unplugged, CESMII member Schneider Electric / AVEVA sat down with Jim Davis, one of the original architects of the Smart Manufacturing movement, to unpack what actually drives meaningful transformation on the plant floor. With over 40 years bridging academia, industry, and national innovation strategies, Jim brings a rare, unfiltered perspective on what works—and what doesn’t—when building a future-ready manufacturing operation.
Returning to beautiful Cleveland, OH, MX.0 Midwest expands to two full days of conference sessions.
Year after year, MX.0 events attract new and returning manufacturers eager to hear and meet with experts from regional and national plants. Manufacturing leaders share real-world experiences, best practices, and innovative strategies for driving digital transformation and automation.
No matter your stage of digital transformation, MX.0 Midwest has the knowledge and network to help you achieve your goals. Whether you're working for a small manufacturer or a large enterprise, find practical solutions to meet your unique business and career goals.
Don’t miss out! Afterall, you don’t know what you don’t know!
Manufacturers can use the CESMII30 code to receive 30% off the fee (currently $499).
Join over 75+ speakers and over 300 digital and operations leaders this October for the only event in North America to address how to achieve the next frontier of digital manufacturing by empowering workers with new technologies.
As you know, many smart manufacturing events exist, but few recognize the game changing role that connected workers play in shop floor transformation.
Hear from Boeing, Bimbo Bakeries USA, Coca Cola, Kraft Heinz, Mondelez, FUJIFILM, Hershey Company, Pfizer and more, this October, and learn how to leverage intelligent automation to improve supply chain efficiency, enhance customer experience, and increase revenue.
In collaboration with CESMII, make sure to use code CESMII20 to save 20% off your pass! Visit www.connectedworkermanufacturing.com for more information.
This nationwide event series brings CESMII representatives to cities across the country, connecting with small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs), Manufacturing Extension Partnerships (MEPs), and the broader manufacturing ecosystem. Our team is excited to share the latest advancements in Smart Manufacturing technologies, explore real-world applications, and discuss how these innovations can drive efficiency, sustainability, and competitiveness.
CESMII – the Smart Manufacturing Institute – has a total current investment commitment of $201M from Department of Energy funding and public/private partnership contributions, with a mandate to create a more competitive manufacturing environment here in the US through advanced sensing, analytics, modeling, control and platforms. CESMII is one of 18 Manufacturing USA institutes on this mission to increase manufacturing productivity, global competitiveness, and reinvestment by increasing energy productivity, improving economic performance and raising workforce capacity. University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) is the program and administrative home of CESMII. For more information about CESMII, its history and Smart Manufacturing, visit cesmii.org.
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