Introducing: The CESMII Membership Hub

We’ve been working behind the scenes on something big—Introducing the CESMII Membership Hub 🎉

Exclusively for members, the Membership Hub is your new go-to destination for everything CESMII. You’ll get easier access to the resources you need most, with content curated based on your membership type, whether you’re a Manufacturer, System Integrator, Technology Provider, or Educator.

This marks a big shift for us:
✅ We’re moving away from Confluence
✅ We’re simplifying your experience
✅ We’re putting tailored content at your fingertips

👉 Ready to explore? Log in today and be among the first to experience the new CESMII Membership Hub — your personalized gateway to Smart Manufacturing resources, community, and impact.

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Not a member, learn more about what CESMII Membership has to offer.

About the Membership Hub

Tuesday, October 28 | 1:00PM EST

Smart Manufacturing Mindset™

World Economic Forum Lighthouses —

Lessons from the Leaders

What happens when a select group of World Economic Forum Lighthouse factories from The Coca-Cola Company, Foxconn Industrial Internet, Schneider Electric, Western Digital and Unilever share the same (virtual) stage?

Their leaders unpack the cultural mindset, data architecture, and change‑management moves they all swear by, then reveal how industry, scale, and legacy constraints steer each site down a unique path of technology and rollout.

Common DNA: Universal principles every Lighthouse follows
Productive Differences: Industry‑specific twists that keep innovation fresh
Transferable Takeaways: What any manufacturer can adopt today—and where adaptation is key

We’ll also connect these insights to CESMII’s forthcoming Smart Manufacturing Playbook and explore how CESMII’s open, interoperable platform can help SMEs climb toward Lighthouse‑level performance.

Biswaranjan Sen, Global Chief Product Supply Chain Officer, Unilever
Anthony Loy, Vice President, Industrial Digital Transformation Consulting, Schneider Electric
Zongchang Liu, Vice President & Chief Data Officer, Foxconn Industrial Internet
Jackie Jung, Vice President, Global Operations Strategy, Western Digital
Gigy Philip, Vice President, Global Equipment Platforms, The Coca-Cola Company
Bart Talloen, Executive Fellow, World Economic Forum

Tune in for cross‑sector patterns that illuminate the journey from pilot plant to global benchmark.

Register

Manufacturing USA Advanced Manufacturing Occupation and Competency Framework

Advanced manufacturing drives the U.S. economy and creates well-paying skilled-trade jobs. To strengthen this sector and support reshoring, the U.S. must ensure a trained workforce.

The Manufacturing USA network has released the 2025 Occupation and Competency Framework—a first-of-its-kind tool that:

Outlines common entry-level jobs in advanced manufacturing
Defines the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for 18 technology areas
Establishes a common language to connect industry, training providers, and workers

This framework extends Department of Labor models and links critical skills and occupations to workforce development efforts nationwide—accelerating recruitment and training for the future of manufacturing.

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Help Shape the Future of U.S. Manufacturing

Help shape the next federal strategy for manufacturing innovation. The Subcommittee on Advanced Manufacturing is tasked with developing the 2026-2030 National Strategic Plan for Advanced Manufacturing and is currently seeking public input. As part of this effort, the NIST Office of Advanced Manufacturing is hosting a virtual “town hall” to hear from members of the 18 Manufacturing USA institutes. Every four years, the Subcommittee on Advanced Manufacturing (SAM) of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), revises the National Strategic Plan for Advanced Manufacturing.

As part of this process, a Request for Information (RFI) is issued to gather ideas from the public about Federal programs and initiatives that can enhance U.S. manufacturing. These efforts aim to create new jobs, strengthen the economy across various industries, and bolster national security. Your input is essential in setting these priorities.

📅 Wednesday, October 23, 2025 | 2:00–3:00 pm ET

If you can’t attend, we encourage you to review the Request for Information (RFI) and share your comments through the Federal Register by the extended deadline: December 12, 2025.

Register Now

Agentic AI & Integrated Data Workflows: Extracting Value from Existing Manufacturing Systems

Learn how forward-thinking manufacturers are using agentic AI to tap into existing data sources and dashboards—accelerating value without starting from scratch. The session will cover strategies for integrating domain-specific workflows, boosting quality with minimal infrastructure changes, and aligning digital tools with lean operational goals.

Watch Session

Engineer of the Future:
Preparing the Next Generation Smart/Intelligent Manufacturing Workforce

Purdue Introduces 4-Year Smart Manufacturing Engineering Degree Program

Project Objective: The goal of this project is to develop a comprehensive 4-yr Smart Manufacturing degree program, adhering to Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology standards.

12

Developed 12 new manufacturing engineering courses that comprise the core of the Smart Manufacturing Industrial Informatics BS degree program.

2,500 SF

Designed infrastructure and equipment for 2,500 square foot Intelligent Process lab.

2,000 SF

Designed infrastructure and equipment for 2,000 square foot Industrial IoT lab.

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Case Study

Twin reality for greater autonomy: the next frontier in digital manufacturing

In a new blog, CESMII Governance Board member, Prasad Satyavolu, Lead – Industry X, Americas, shares Accenture’s perspective on digital twins and introduces the Physical AI Orchestrator—a solution developed by Accenture, built on NVIDIA Omniverse libraries. This breakthrough is designed to revolutionize how manufacturing plants and their components are designed, engineered, assembled, and commissioned. CESMII is pleased to share this thought leadership as part of our commitment to advancing Smart Manufacturing.

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From the Machine Shop to Cutting-Edge Technology: How NIST Helps Grow American Manufacturing

📢 NIST recently published a blog by Cassondra Blasioli on how Manufacturing USA is transforming U.S. manufacturing—from rebuilding supply chains to revitalizing local economies.

We’re proud that CESMII – The Smart Manufacturing Institute was highlighted for its work developing smart sensors that predict equipment maintenance needs. It’s a powerful example of how Smart Manufacturing can make a difference on the shop floor today.

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The 4th Annual Connected Worker:

Manufacturing Summit

Strengthening U.S. Competitiveness Through Smart Manufacturing

Wednesday October 15 | 3:55PM

The data tells us a disconcerting story. Manufacturing productivity, for the first time in recorded history, has been declining. And at a point in history where, as we’re re-shoring, near-shoring and friend-shoring our strategic manufacturing capacity, there’s an unprecedented demand for an upskilled workforce and sustained productivity growth. Our existing capabilities, methodologies and cultures have brought us this far but are clearly not sufficient; a strong indicator that manufacturing transformation isn’t just a good strategy, it’s a matter of survival.

Join CESMIIs John Dyck and some of America’s leading manufacturers for an impactful discussion on the characteristics, capabilities and behaviors that represent Smart Manufacturing, and how companies can create a vision for the future of manufacturing that drives transformation, including:

Business and technology strategies, best practices and education to equip leadership, upskill the existing workforce and train the next generation workforce
Aggressive evolution from proprietary, closed ecosystems, enabling interoperability based on standards that eliminate data silos, stovepipe architectures and vendor lock-in
How to convene all relevant stakeholder groups to prioritize and address industry constraints no one organization can solve on its own

Taking place at the 4th Annual Connected Worker: Manufacturing Summit, we are thrilled to announce we are an official Event Partner and with code ‘CESMII20’, you can save 20% off* your pass!

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CESMII Smart Manufacturing Roadshow Series

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.

Thursday, October 2

Columbia, MD

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Thursday, October 9

Houston, TX

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Monday, October 13

Orlando, FL

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Tuesday, October 14

Tampa, FL

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Thursday, December 11

New Kensington, PA

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Tuesday, January 13

Kansas City, KS

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2025 Meeting Schedule

All meetings will take place on Wednesdays from 1:00PM PST / 4:00PM EST

October 15, 2025 – REGISTER

About CESMII

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.

Disclaimer

As many of you may be aware from recent news, UCLA and the Federal Government are currently addressing matters related to federally funded awards. Accordingly, this communication and its contents are not endorsed, supported, or funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

September 2025 Newsletter

Introducing: The CESMII Membership Hub

Manufacturing USA Advanced Manufacturing Occupation and Competency Framework

Help Shape the Future of U.S. Manufacturing

Agentic AI & Integrated Data Workflows: Extracting Value from Existing Manufacturing Systems

Engineer of the Future: Preparing the Next Generation Smart/Intelligent Manufacturing Workforce​

12

2,500 SF

2,000 SF

From the Machine Shop to Cutting-Edge Technology: How NIST Helps Grow American Manufacturing

The 4th Annual Connected Worker:

Manufacturing Summit

Strengthening U.S. Competitiveness Through Smart Manufacturing

Wednesday October 15 | 3:55PM

CESMII Smart Manufacturing Roadshow Series

Thursday, October 2

Columbia, MD

Thursday, October 9

Houston, TX

Monday, October 13

Orlando, FL

Tuesday, October 14

Tampa, FL

Thursday, December 11

New Kensington, PA

Tuesday, January 13

Kansas City, KS

2025 Meeting Schedule

About CESMII

Disclaimer

Recent Posts

Engineer of the Future:
Preparing the Next Generation Smart/Intelligent Manufacturing Workforce