Manufacturing
at MIT
Envision the Future of Production
Join the Event
About
Manufacturing@MIT brings together the MIT community, industry, and other partners to shape the future of production for innovation, growth, equity, and sustainability.
The Rationale
Innovation and manufacturing go hand-in-hand, and global shifts in manufacturing capabilities underpin economic competitiveness and the development of new industries.
The Problem
Between 2000-2010, the manufacturing sector in the United States lost close to 6 million jobs and 64,000 plants were closed. In the decade that followed, from 2010 and 2020, the productivity of U.S. manufacturers declined both in absolute terms and compared to key foreign competitors. Yet, in reaction to the fragility of global supply chains, as well as the economic disruption to the working class from the decline in US manufacturing, the federal government is more focused on America’s manufacturing future than it has been in decades.
The Future
Manufacturing must change, and a combination of emerging technologies along with the importance of building resilient, sustainable industries compel a new perspective. MIT can play a significant role in defining a new era of advanced manufacturing, spanning technologies, policies, and organizational changes that will get us there.
Manufacturing@MIT is addressing four grand challenges defining the future of production, and builds on MIT’s leadership in manufacturing research, education, and entrepreneurship.
Scale digital production technologies
Build a skilled and diverse workforce
Rethink lean for resilience
Achieve sustainability and circularity
Grand Challenge 1: Scale Digital Production Technologies
The maturation of digital production technologies will underpin how manufacturers design and configure their factories from small to large, and will drive faster and more responsive product development. These technologies include robotics, additive manufacturing, and flexible automation, in combination with artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), and more. Manufacturing@MIT seeks to study the technical and economic benefits of implementing digital production across scales, perform research on new process technologies and AI-driven tools, and develop high-impact case studies in collaboration with its partners.
Grand Challenge 2: Build a Skilled and Diverse Workforce
Training the design, production, maintenance, and repair workers of the future will require new, efficient, and scalable models for skill acquisition that combine critical thinking and other human skills with technical understanding of advanced technologies and systems. This is necessary to enhance the skills of the current workforce and to develop attractive, technology-driven manufacturing career pathways. MIT has developed a suite of advanced manufacturing training programs with a particular focus on digital and blended learning modalities. Manufacturing@MIT seeks to align incentives among employer needs, educational institutions (including community colleges) and industry organizations, and focus development and deployment of high-quality curricula in the areas of strongest need.
Grand Challenge 3: Rethink Lean for Resilience
Since the 1980s, lean production has been the backbone of industry. Today, supply-chain disruptions and geopolitical tensions have caused manufacturers to rethink just-in-time operations and ask how to establish resilience while maximizing efficiency. Manufacturing@MIT seeks to evolve the principles of lean with digital technologies in mind, from frontline operations to long-range forecasting. Our work will pose questions about the structure of future supply chains and the distribution of risk and capital across enterprises.
Grand Challenge 4: Achieve Sustainability and Circularity
Since the 1980s, lean production has been the backbone of industry. Today, supply-chain disruptions and geopolitical tensions have caused manufacturers to rethink just-in-time operations and ask how to establish resilience while maximizing efficiency. Manufacturing@MIT seeks to evolve the principles of lean with digital technologies in mind, from frontline operations to long-range forecasting. Our work will pose questions about the structure of future supply chains and the distribution of risk and capital across enterprises.
Focus Areas
Research
MIT manufacturing research spans technology (e.g., AI-driven mfg, aviation/space, bio/chemical mfg, the built environment, electrification, and semiconductors/electronics), policy, economics, history, and management.
Facilities
MIT is connecting its many production and maker activities with new advanced state-of-the-art facilities to learn from and teach industry.
Education
MIT work on education and workforce development encompasses pK-12, higher ed, and the workforce.
Entrepreneurship
MIT continues its exemplary record of converting research into impact in the world through direct entrepreneurship and engagement with industry.
Community
MIT creates community on campus and beyond through a speaker series, an annual symposium, and ad hoc gatherings.
Outreach
MIT communicates the findings of its work through numerous white papers, reports, books, papers, presentations, and other avenues.
Mission
The mission of Manufacturing@MIT is to bring
together the MIT community, industry, and other partners to shape the future of production for innovation, growth, equity, and sustainability.
Mission 1
The campus-wide manufacturing Initiative seeks to bring together industry and public sector partners with MIT faculty, students and other researchers to pursue a bold agenda for the future of advanced production.
Mission 2
The Initiative’s activities are framed by four Grand Challenges: scaling digital manufacturing technologies, building a skilled workforce, rethinking lean manufacturing for resilience, and achieving sustainability and circularity.
Mission 3
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Mission 4
The Initiative will also be a focal point for educating MIT students in manufacturing through new courses and interdisciplinary curricula. Industry partners of Manufacturing@MIT will engage with students through recruitment opportunities, research projects, and internships.
Our Industry Alliance
The Manufacturing@MIT Working Group is seeking founding industry partners. Our partners will be leading companies from several industries—companies whose strategy and operations resonate with our grand challenges, and that wish to form a close relationship with MIT to address their priorities and strategy in manufacturing. We plan three primary modes of engagement between industry and Manufacturing@MIT.
1. Manufacturing@MIT Industry Alliance:
The Manufacturing@MIT Industry Alliance will engage large, US and globally-focused companies to address the grand challenges and develop collaborative programs in key areas of their interest. Members will join working groups, develop roadmaps and case studies, support seed research projects and fellowships, guide workforce training programs, and build a direct 1:1 engagement with our team. In addition to the direct engagement and collaborative workstreams, each member company will join our Industry Leadership Council to influence the direction of the Manufacturing@MIT Initiative to reflect its priorities and strategy. We plan to launch the Alliance in Fall 2023 with 8-10 founding members committed to a three-year paid membership.
2. Education and research factories:
We are planning new facilities that support advanced manufacturing research, education, and pilot-scale demonstrations on campus. We will invite companies — especially technology providers — to participate in planning, facility development, and operation, and we will seek financial support and contributions of advanced equipment and software.
3. Major partnership:
Beyond the above, Manufacturing@MIT can build major partnerships with companies that wish to support large collaborative research projects combining MIT faculty and company experts, design and build new workforce and professional training programs with MIT, and more. We want to understand each company’s needs, convene interested faculty with company teams, propose areas of collaboration, and scope a significant relationship. Our industry partners will also engage in high-visibility, high-impact events, including the annual Manufacturing@MIT Symposium and Distinguished Speaker Series, identify and source new technologies from MIT startups and through relationships with faculty and research labs, and access world-class professional and executive education programs, both in-person and online.
Personnel
Manufacturing@MIT is guided by a steering committee and led by professors John Hart (Mechanical Engineering) and Suzanne Berger (Political Science), directed by Julie Diop, and supported by numerous MIT faculty, researchers, students, and staff.
Mfg@MIT Steering Committee
Professor Jesus del Alamo is …
617-253-4764 | alamo@mit.edu
Ben Armstrong, PhD is …
___-___-____ | armst@mit.edu
Professor Dave Hardt is …
617-253-2252 | hardt@mit.edu
Professor Richard Lester is …
617-253-7704 | rklester@mit.edu
Professor David Mindell is …
617-253-0221 | mindell@mit.edu
Professor Desiree Plata is …
617-258-8596 | dplata@mit.edu
Professor Sanjay Sarma is …
___-___-____ | sesarma@mit.edu
Professor Julie Shah is …
617-324-4879 | arnoldj@mit.edu
Mfg@MIT Leadership
Professor Krystyn Van Vliet is …
___-___-____ | krystyn.vv@cornell.edu
Professor John Hart is faculty co-director of Manufacturing@MIT. He is chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at MIT, the Director of the Laboratory for Manufacturing, “Maker Czar” of the Mechanical Engineering Department, creator of the Additive Manufacturing for Innovative Design and Production MIT xPRO course, and the Fundamentals of Manufacturing Processes MITx course (2.008x). He is also co-founder of the additive printing companies Desktop Metal and VulcanForms.
Institute Professor Suzanne Berger is faculty co-director of Manufacturing@MIT. She co-chaired the MIT Production in the Innovation Economy project and is author of Making in America: From Innovation to Market (2013). She created the MIT International Science and Technology Initiative, and participated in the 1989 Made in America project at MIT.
617-253-6640 | szberger@mit.edu
Mfg@MIT Team and Affiliates
Julie Diop, MBA, is the center’s executive director. She was Executive Director of the Initiative of Knowledge and Innovation in Manufacturing (IKIM) under Professor Lionel Kimerling, where she led the AIM Photonics Academy project. Before joining MIT, she spent 13 years at the NPR show On Point.
617.715.5775 | jdiop@mit.edu
Ben Armstrong, PhD is …
___-___-____ | armst@mit.edu
Bill Bonvillian, ___ is …
___-___-____ | bonvill@mit.edu
Jeff Dieffenbach, SM is …
508-353-3175 | jdieff@mit.edu
John Liu, PhD is …
617-715-4783 | johnhliu@mit.edu
Haden Quinlan, ___ is …
617-253-2228 | hquinlan@mit.edu
Registration
Contact Us
Inquiries regarding Manufacturing@MIT, it’s work, and the Industry Collaborative may be directed to the faculty directors or executive director via the contact information on our About Us page, or via email to connect@mfg.mit.edu
Contact Info
(255) 352-6258
connect@mfg.mit.edu