“Out-of-the-Blue” Manufacturing Dialogue Series, Next Stop: Sandia National Laboratories

Lisa Hanna
Vice President, Communications
Council on Competitiveness
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202-383-9507

(Albuquerque, NM) – The Council on Competitiveness today held the second in a series of manufacturing dialogues slated for 2013. American leaders came together at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico, one of the nation’s foremost engineering and science laboratories, to explore the potential of Cyber-enabled Manufacturing (CeM) to drive long-term productivity and prosperity.
    
CeM is the fast-paced convergence of traditional manufacturing, the Internet, and other key technologies (e.g., sensors and advanced computing) that holds the promise of enabling new levels of connectivity among producers, supply chains, and consumers. And this increasing connectivity will underpin high-value, demand-driven production and customization, greater productivity, and enterprise optimization.

Key leaders at the forefront of CeM – from industry, academia, the national laboratories and government – participated in this seminal conversation to frame the challenges facing and the opportunities stemming from CeM. They discussed a set of core issues, including: barriers to entry and implementation of CeM; tools and technologies essential to the future of the industry; and, creating the skills base and workforce to design and deploy CeM.

“Strategic use of engineering turns innovation into marketable products and drives U.S. economic prosperity,” said Paul Hommert, Sandia National Laboratories President and Director. “Cyber-enabled Manufacturing advances this objective with tools such as web-based portals and modeling and simulation. At the same time, it translates into more reliable products that come rapidly to market. I look forward to the dialogue on CeM, as we will explore innovative ideas to strengthen U.S. competitiveness by effectively integrating cyber capabilities, shaping the future engineering workforce, and setting a direction for Cyber-enabled Manufacturing.”

“The United States faces an inflection point in its history – the priorities we set and the choices we make today to drive innovation and continued growth in manufacturing will be fundamental to the quality of life all Americans will have in the next 10, 20, 30 and 40 years,” said Deborah L. Wince-Smith, President and CEO, Council on Competitiveness. “Making the business and policy case for cutting-edge capabilities – like Cyber-enabled Manufacturing – is critical to improving prospects for the success of U.S. goods and services in the global marketplace.”

The Council’s “Out of the Blue” Manufacturing Dialogue Series has held more than 18 strategic dialogues across the country since its inception in 2011 and is part of the Council’s comprehensive United States Manufacturing Competitiveness Initiative (USMCI). The series was launched following the release of Make: An American Manufacturing Movement, which presented recommendations and action items to stimulate manufacturing excellence in the United States.

 

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ABOUT THE COUNCIL ON COMPETITIVENESS

The Council on Competitiveness is the only group of corporate CEOs, university presidents and labor leaders committed to the future prosperity of all Americans and enhanced U.S. competitiveness in the global economy through the creation of high-value economic activity in the United States. The Council is a non-partisan and non-governmental organization.