The purpose of this meeting was two-fold. “First, this meeting is to help guide the long-term strategy of the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute so that it is a world leader in critical areas of manufacturing research,” said Theresa Kotanchek, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Evolved Analytics and Chair of the GTMI External Advisory Board. “Second, the meeting is to educate the board members on the research taking place at GTMI.”

GTMI board members in attendance included:

• Wayne Eckerle (Cummins),
• Theresa Kotanchek (Evolved Analytics),
• Rob Maskell (Cytec),
• Mike McGrath (Analytic Services Inc.),
• John Russell (Office of the Secretary of Defense),
• Pete Sigmon (Shaw Industries), and
• Mark Tomlinson (Society of Manufacturing Engineers)

The day-long event included research presentations on additive manufacturing, bio-inspired design, next generation fibers, model-based systems engineering, printed electronics, and sustainable manufacturing from key research leaders at Georgia Tech. Board members also heard a panel discussion on Georgia Tech’s involvement in the National Network of Manufacturing Innovation, and panelist sought ways to further engage industry in the process. Panel moderator and Georgia Tech Research Institute Executive Director, Industry Strategy and Communications, Don McConnell, also posed the question of which areas of research should be the focus of the federal Advanced Manufacturing Partnership 2.0 program based on the 16 recommended topics named by AMP 1.0. Advanced manufacturing and testing equipment; advanced sensing, measurement and process control; sustainable manufacturing; and biomanufacturing and bioinformatics were among the top-listed research areas among GTMI’s board.