For questions on the agenda or if you’re interested in speaking at our event, please email [email protected].
Tuesday, December 2
6:00 p.m. Welcome Networking Reception
Network, engage and enjoy cocktails and conversations with fellow event participants.
Wednesday, December 3
7:15 a.m. Registration and Breakfast
8:00 a.m. Welcome and Introductions
8:10 a.m. Opening Address: The Digital Leader’s Playbook
- David R. Brousell, Founder, Vice President and Executive Director, Manufacturing Leadership Council
What skills, behaviors, and talents will operational leaders need to enable their companies to be successful in the years ahead? A combination of technological acumen, an ability to work in flatter, more empowered organizational structures, and cross-functional orchestration skills will be minimum daily requirements for leaders. MLC’s founder will outline the path ahead and offer recommendations.
8:30 a.m. Keynote: Leading Through Changing Times
- Andrea Kates, Entrepreneur-in-Residence, MIT Kuo Sharper Center for Prosperity and Entrepreneurship
In turbulent times, how do leaders keep their companies focused, continually innovating, and growing? This session will advise executives on how to go beyond being merely agile, flexible, and adaptable to leading with the purpose to create true competitive advantage for the future.
Section 1 – Current and Future States
9:15 a.m. Featured Speaker: Identifying the Future Leadership Persona
The most important characteristics for digital leadership are often influenced by the sector in which a company operates and by the type of manufacturing performed. This session will offer insights into leadership personas that can be established to help define talent requirements.
9:45 a.m. Networking and Refreshment Break
10:15 a.m. Panel Discussion: Too Many Chiefs?
In recent years, new digital functions and title categories such as chief digital or data or AI officer have emerged as manufacturing companies grapple with how best to manage digitization. This panel discussion will help manufacturers understand where the boundaries are and what the roles should be among the many chief technology-related officer positions proliferating in companies.
11:00 a.m. Panel Discussion: Designing the Organization of the Future
As digitization increasingly empowers people with more information and changes decision-making processes, what’s the right organizational structure to maximize corporate effectiveness? This session will look at different models that manufacturers can use to truly leverage Manufacturing 4.0.
Section 2 – Human-Machine Relationship
11:45 a.m. Featured Speaker: Making the Human-Machine Relationship Work
As AI continues to develop and its use grows within manufacturing organizations, the pressure is on for companies to carefully define what the relationship should be between AI-powered machines and the manufacturing workforce. This session will focus on the strategies and methods manufacturers can use to get the most out of evolving human-machine relationships.
12:15 p.m. Networking Luncheon
1:15 p.m. Case Study: How AI and Manufacturing Work Together
Discover how one manufacturing company is redefining human-machine collaboration to drive performance and innovation. This session will reveal real-world results, lessons learned and the challenges that remain as AI capabilities advance.
1:50 p.m. Panel Discussion: Staying in the Driver’s Seat
As AI grows more powerful and capable of making decisions autonomously, manufacturing leaders face a critical question: Where should the boundaries of human oversight be set? This forward-looking panel will examine the technology’s evolution and share insights on how to maintain control and exercise it effectively.
Section 3 – Leading in an Unknown Future
2:35 p.m. Featured Speaker: Strategies to Deal with Constant Change
Geopolitical, market and technological shifts are accelerating, challenging leaders to respond with agility, flexibility and adaptability. In this session, you’ll gain practical strategies and tactics to leverage in the era of constant change, positioning your organization to thrive in the years ahead.
3:05 p.m. Networking and Refreshment Break
3:30 p.m. Panel Discussion: The Transformation of Change Management
A continual challenge for manufacturers undertaking significant technology projects is to marry those projects with effective change management methodologies and techniques in order to maximize adoption and success.
4:15 p.m. Panel Discussion: Crafting a U.S. Advanced Manufacturing Strategy
Periodically, the federal government refreshes its National Strategy for Advanced Manufacturing to reflect emerging priorities and challenges. The latest update is now underway, beginning earlier this year with an information-gathering effort led by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. In this session, you’ll get a first look at potential elements of the new strategy—and insights into how they could shape manufacturing leadership in the years ahead.
5:00 p.m. Panel Discussion: Charting a Path for Leadership in the Future
Industry leaders will reflect on the day’s most impactful insights to define the strategies and mindsets you need to guide your organization and manufacturing leadership into the future. We’ll discuss not only how to chart a clear path for digital leadership, but also why a well-defined innovation strategy is essential for long-term competitiveness. This conversation will also serve as an introduction to tomorrow’s Innovating the Future event, where the IRI will take a deeper dive into building that innovation roadmap.
5:30 p.m. Networking and Cocktail Reception: The Future of Manufacturing Project and Innovating the Future
7:30 p.m. The MLC’s Future of Manufacturing Project Event Concludes
