Automotive. Drivers know

February 1, 2023 | By Dorothy Lozowski

Manufacturing is becoming more advanced as companies adopt new technologies to stay competitive and to help achieve newer sustainability goals. The Covid-19 pandemic and issues, such as supply-chain shortages, have accelerated this adoption, particularly of digitalization. The shift to advanced manufacturing has created a need for different skillsets in the workforce.

Advanced manufacturing refers to the use of innovative technologies applied to manufacturing. While the technologies vary in different manufacturing sectors, the majority of advances currently referred to are related to automation and digitalization — such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, virtual reality, additive manufacturing (3-D printing), robotics, advanced data analysis and more. Traditional engineering curricula give students very limited exposure to these topics.

Training and education

Universities, industry and government are all actively working to address the skills gap in manufacturing. Companies are investing in training to upskill their workforce, as well as investing in, and partnering with, educational institutions. A recent example is the donation of over $1 million in equipment and money from ConocoPhillips (www.conocophillips.com) to Prarie View A&M University (www.pvamu.edu) for engineering and business analytics education.

Arizona State University (ASU; www.asu.edu) opened a new school last year that collaborates with several industrial partners, and aims to build upon the university’s existing engineering programs to meet the growing demands of advanced manufacturing. ASU’s School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks announced last month that it has added a doctoral degree to its bachelor’s and master’s degrees in its new manufacturing engineering program.

Last year, the U.S. Dept. of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST; www.nist.gov) awarded over $2 million to seven organizations to develop manufacturing technology roadmaps in order to strengthen advanced manufacturing in critical and emerging technologies.

And last month, Virginia Tech (www.vt.edu