March 15, 2018
Photo caption: The National Defense University’s advanced manufacturing class visited IACMI and ORNL facilities to learn about the future of manufacturing in the United States. Left side, front to back: Capt. Anthony Littmann, Lt. Col. Eduardo Bitanga, Bill Peter (ORNL), Joannie Harmon Heath (IACMI). Right side, front to back: Barbara Bartsch-Allen, Lt. Col. Mark Van Brunt, Lt. Col. Matthew Fandre, Col. Sean O’Brien, Edward Quick; not pictured: Capt. Nawaf Alajmi.
The NDU leaders created an advanced manufacturing medallion to present to hosts who led tours of facilities and discussed advanced manufacturing with the group.
As part of IACMI’s mission to develop the U.S. workforce of advanced manufacturing, the institute hosted 10 graduate students from the National Defense University (NDU) to tour the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Joint Institute for Advanced Materials (JIAM) and the Fibers and Composites Manufacturing Facility (FCMF), RMX Technologies, Volunteer Aerospace, Local Motors, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF), and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory main campus. This NDU class that toured the IACMI, ORNL, and IACMI member facilities are studying an advanced manufacturing graduate-level class, so upon graduating from the NDU they will be able to develop policies that further the United States’ mission to lead manufacturing innovations in the future.
The National Defense University has more than 300 senior military officers and senior government civilians who are earning an advanced degree tailored to areas incorporating national security efforts. The leaders study economics, national strategy, leadership, industry analytics and acquisition before visiting several U.S. innovation institutes as well as innovation centers abroad.
The participants tour innovation centers both in the United States and abroad to gain a better understanding of how government, industry, and academia are working together to accelerate innovation through applied research, workforce development, and economic impact. The information that they gain through their tours shapes their final capstone brief. This capstone brief is presented to the Manufacturing and Industrial Base Policy (MIBP) in the Department in Defense, which is utilized in directing the review of the national production base.
The group toured Local Motors and learned about additive manufacturing in vehicles through printing with the Cincinnati Inc. BAAM.
This is the second year that IACMI has hosted students from the National Defense University, and the institute is proud to contribute to the positive impact of shaping manufacturing and government leaders of the future. “The National Defense University is crucial in guiding the United States’ global competitiveness in advanced manufacturing. We are proud to host the classes to tour IACMI facilities, learn about the innovations that our members are developing, and to gain a deeper understanding of how industry, academia, and government can work together to shape the U.S. manufacturing strategy,” said IACMI CEO, John A. Hopkins.
The NDU group visited ORNL’s historic Graphite Reactor, used during the Manhattan Project.
IACMI values the opportunity to work with the National Defense University, and to offer insight into the atmosphere of advanced manufacturing in the United States. To learn more about the National Defense University, visit http://www.ndu.edu and to learn more about IACMI capabilities, visit https://iacmi.org/technology-areas.