World Economic Forum Launches US Center for Advanced Manufacturing
Geneva, Switzerland, 1 June 2022 – The World Economic Forum launches its first thematic Center on Advanced Manufacturing today, the US Center for Advanced Manufacturing. The new Center will join a global community of Centers for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) that help shape new strategies and policies in technology governance. It will work closely with the Platform for Shaping the Future of Advanced Manufacturing and Value Chains that drives the global agenda on the transformation of industrial ecosystems for improved productivity, sustainability and inclusive growth.
The US Center for Advanced Manufacturing joins a network of 15 centers that spans four continents and is the first center in the world focused on advanced manufacturing. Created with support from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and Oakland County, the center will engage the national manufacturing ecosystem to accelerate the transition towards advanced manufacturing through a series of local, national and international projects and activities. It will play an active role in shaping the global agenda on the future of production, while contributing towards strengthening the competitiveness of the manufacturing sector in the United States.
Francisco Betti, Head of the Platform for Shaping the Future of Advanced Manufacturing and Value Chains at the World Economic Forum, who joined the announcement roundtable on Mackinac Island in Michigan, underlined the center’s role in helping leaders understand and shape the trajectory of industrial transformation in the US. “We are delighted to partner up with Automation Alley to launch this new center. It will play a key role to help manufacturing companies – including small and medium-sized enterprises – anticipate supply chain disruptions, build resilience and capitalize on the new opportunities. Through new collaborative efforts and projects, the center will work with leaders from government, business, academia and civil society to accelerate the transition towards advanced manufacturing and help unlock productivity, innovation and growth while enabling workforce engagement and sustainability at scale. It will also help position the US at the center of global discussions on the future of advanced manufacturing and value chains.”
“We are thrilled to welcome the United States Center for Advanced Manufacturing to Michigan, where our century-long auto manufacturing heritage, innovative businesses and hardworking people continue to shape and drive the future of manufacturing in the US and around the world,” said Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “Since I took office, Michigan has added 30,000 manufacturing jobs, many building batteries, electric vehicle, or other advanced sectors and products. These investments have cemented our status as a global epicenter of manufacturing and with the new center we will build on that leadership, bringing in even more opportunity for workers and bolstering economic opportunity within our state and beyond.”
“The rapid pace of technological change coupled with geopolitical, climate and supply chain disruptions has created an urgency for manufacturers across the globe to adopt advanced manufacturing technologies and practices to remain competitive,” said Tom Kelly, Executive Director and CEO of Automation Alley. “This center will ensure all US stakeholders are aligned for shared value creation and to accelerate digital transformation. Manufacturers of all sizes need to pay attention to the rapid pace of technological change to remain competitive and relevant today. Automation Alley is proud to be leading this initiative focused on the most pressing issues around the future of manufacturing operations, workforce development, changing consumer demands, sustainability, standards, regulations and so much more.”
“This partnership will allow Oakland County, the region and the state to be a leading catalyst for transformational developments in advanced manufacturing,” said Oakland County Executive David Coulter. “The US Center for Advanced Manufacturing will be a good fit for Automation Alley and Oakland County because we put theory into practice with our Project DIAMOnD initiative, which provided $10 million in 3D printers to small manufacturers. We intend to expand on this investment to accelerate the transition towards advanced manufacturing and attract national and international firms to Oakland County.”
Strengthening collaborations and innovation to drive transformation
The new center’s strategic priorities will include: generating new insights by identifying the latest trends to help manufacturers and policy-makers in the US respond to industry disruption; building peer communities of varied voices across industries and regions to share experiences, synthesize learnings and help shape collaborative responses to address global challenges; and creating multistakeholder coalitions to accelerate action by unlocking potential through new alliances. Through the US Center for Advanced Manufacturing, businesses will pre-emptively address emerging opportunities in production and increase the pace of responsible industry transformation and unlock new value creation.
Cynthia Hutchison, Vice-President of Automation Alley, will serve as Head of the US Center for Advanced Manufacturing. She previously served as the liaison to the World Economic Forum by overseeing the Michigan Advanced Manufacturing Hub.
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