“Manufacturing serves as the driving force of society, and it constitutes the foundation of strong, adaptable economies,” asserts John Hart, leader of MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering (MechE) and faculty co-director of the MIT Initiative for New Manufacturing (INM). “With manufacturing being a dynamic subject in current news, there’s an enhanced recognition and comprehension of its significance to innovation, economic and national security, as well as to our daily lives.”
Initiated this May, INM aims to “facilitate a transformation in manufacturing via new technologies, talent development, and an understanding of how to scale manufacturing in a manner that fosters elevated productivity and resilience, promotes the utilization of new technologies, and generates quality employment,” Hart states.
INM represents one of MIT’s strategic endeavors and expands upon the thriving Manufacturing@MIT initiative that has been active for three years. “This reflects MIT’s acknowledgment that manufacturing is an overarching theme and a priority for the Institute, connecting faculty and students throughout the campus,” Hart mentions. Working alongside Hart, INM’s faculty co-directors include Institute Professor Suzanne Berger and Chris Love, professor of chemical engineering.
The initiative is focused on four principal themes: rethinking manufacturing technologies and systems, enhancing productivity and the human experience in manufacturing, scaling up innovative manufacturing practices, and transforming the manufacturing foundation.
Overcoming manufacturing obstacles for corporations
Founding members of INM’s industry consortium include Amgen, Autodesk, Flex, GE Vernova, PTC, Sanofi, and Siemens. These industry associates will collaborate closely with MIT faculty, researchers, and students on various aspects of manufacturing-related inquiries, encompassing both broad initiatives and specific areas of mutual interest. Participation requires a minimum three-year commitment of $500,000 annually toward manufacturing-related initiatives at MIT, which includes the INM membership cost of $275,000 per year, supporting several core activities engaging industry members.
A major focus for INM’s industry collaboration is the implementation and acceptance of AI and automation in manufacturing. This initiative will include initial research projects at MIT, joint case studies, and collaborative strategy development.
Additionally, INM provides companies with access to the MIT-wide New Manufacturing Research effort, which investigates the pathways of specific manufacturing sectors and explores overarching themes such as technology and finance.
Furthermore, INM will prioritize educational initiatives across all manufacturing professions, creating partnerships that unite corporations, community colleges, government entities, and other collaborators. “We’ll expand our curriculum to reach broader audiences, ranging from aspiring manufacturing workers and production line supervisors to engineers and executives,” states Hart.
In workforce development, INM will engage broadly with companies to identify challenges and shape its overall workforce strategy, while also collaborating with individual firms on specific issues, such as sourcing suitably qualified personnel for new factories.
Significantly, industry partners will interact directly with students. For example, founding member Flex hosted MIT researchers and students at the Flex Institute of Technology in Sorocaba, Brazil, to create innovative solutions for electronics manufacturing.
“History shows that innovation in manufacturing must occur alongside product innovation,” remarks Hart. “At MIT, as more students enroll in manufacturing classes, they will contemplate essential manufacturing issues when deciding which research problems to tackle or what decisions to make during prototyping. The same principle applies to industry — companies innovating at the forefront of manufacturing, be it through internal capabilities or their supply chains, are positioned to lead in product innovation and overall growth.”
“We’ll have the opportunity to advance manufacturing to the initial stages of research, designing new processes and devices with scalability in focus,” he explains.
Moreover, MIT anticipates the establishment of new manufacturing-related laboratories and aims to augment collaboration with industry at existing shared facilities like MIT.nano. Hart mentions that these facilities will also promote closer partnerships with corporations — not merely providing advanced equipment, but collaborating on initiatives like developing new technologies for textile weaving or accelerating battery production.
Focusing on the United States
INM is an international undertaking that places a distinct emphasis on the United States, which remains the world’s second-largest manufacturing economy but has experienced a notable decrease in manufacturing employment and innovation.
A crucial step toward reversing this trend and revitalizing the U.S. manufacturing landscape is promoting the essential role of manufacturing in society and the career opportunities it presents.
MIT is uniquely positioned to bring together stakeholders from industry, academia, and government in manufacturing to collaborate on this critical issue, he underscores.
Additionally, during times of significant and rapid transformations in manufacturing, “we must concentrate on integrating new technologies into factories and supply chains,” Hart states. “Technology alone is not the sole solution, but for the U.S. to broaden our manufacturing base, we must do it with technology as a vital facilitator, including businesses of all sizes, particularly small and medium enterprises.”
“As AI becomes increasingly sophisticated and automation more adaptable and accessible, these elements serve as key building blocks for addressing manufacturing challenges,” he notes. “AI and automation provide accelerated methods to develop, implement, and oversee production processes, presenting significant opportunities and, in some cases, necessities.”
“While manufacturing always entails a blend of legacy technology, modern advancements, established practices, and innovative thinking, digital technology offers manufacturers a chance to outpace their competitors,” Hart explains. “That holds tremendous potential for the U.S. and any organization or nation that seeks to develop distinctive capabilities.”
Fortunately, in recent years, investors have increasingly embraced new manufacturing in the United States. “They recognize the potential for re-industrialization, building the factories and production systems of the future,” Hart explains.
All these concerns and possibilities within the manufacturing ecosystem align with MIT’s strengths. “MIT’s inherent capability for cross-disciplinary collaboration and engagement with industry positions us to make a substantial impact,” Hart emphasizes. “We can comprehend the practical challenges. We can also pursue groundbreaking ideas in research and foster successful outcomes, extending to new companies and partnerships. While these may be perceived as separate approaches, we prefer to unify them.”