Opening Doors for High Potential Leaders in Manufacturing
Human-Centered AI: Building Manufacturing’s Future Workforce
3rd MX.0 Midwest: Exclusive EY-Nottingham Spirk Innovation Hub Tour
3D Printing Speed Hack: Software & Motor Control Secrets
Industry 4.0 Club Welcomes New Advisory Board
Rethinking Shop Floor Execution with Factory Orchestration
Leading Change in Manufacturing Operations in the Age of AI
AI Product Modeling: Battery Sizes & More Explained
Upcoming Events
New leaders in manufacturing are often already inside our organizations, waiting for a door to open. You could be one of them. In our latest blog, find practical ideas for earning a seat at the table, building a personal board of directors with a range of perspectives, growing development networks without a budget, and protecting the energy that growth requires. The takeaway is clear: doors rarely open on their own, and the industry gets better the moment high potential people use their voice.
Will AI replace manufacturing workers or create the most capable workforce the industry has ever seen? The answer depends less on technology and more on how leaders choose to implement it. In this upcoming fireside chat, Anitha Kapu, Director of Manufacturing & Quality at Crusoe Energy Systems, draws on experience building and scaling operations at SpaceX, Tesla, Walmart, and Amazon to explore human-centered AI in manufacturing. A preview of her presentation at MX.0 Midwest, Anitha will cover:
How AI is changing the roles of engineers, technicians, operators, and quality professionals, where human judgment remains essential
What leaders should do now to prepare the future workforce
Get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the EY-Nottingham Spirk 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐇𝐮𝐛 to kickstart your 3rd Annual MX.0 Midwest experience on the pre-event Factory Floor Tour and experience how innovation moves from idea to commercialization. Don't miss the opportunity to see 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 📅 Tuesday, September 29, 2026 | 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Learn more about the pre-event tour and secure your seat at MX.0 Midwest!
🎟️ Open to registered MX.0 Midwest attendees only
🏭 Don't just attend MX.0 Midwest, experience it
Watch our YouTube short for a practical reminder that big performance gains do not always require new hardware. Showcasing John McEleney, Co-Founder at OnShape, this short looks at how smarter software and motor control can unlock faster 3D printing with the equipment you already have.
Join us in welcoming the inaugural Advisory Board of the Industry 4.0 Club! This new board brings together a distinguished group of manufacturing and technology leaders to help guide the organization and strengthen the Club’s ability to fulfill its purpose of engaging diverse worldwide talent to accelerate the global industrial evolution to Industry 4.0.
Advisory board members provide strategic guidance on industry trends, contribute thought leadership, expand industry connections, and help shape future Club activities and events.
The inaugural Industry 4.0 Club Advisory Board includes:
Sara Hanks, Executive – Quality Engineering and Data Analytics, NWIRC (MEP)
Brian Marsh, Director of Automation, Allegion
Sarah Morgan, Director – Digital Supply Chains, Mars
Kyle Reissner, Vice President – Product Management, Mitsubishi
Ira Sharp, Director, Product Marketing, Phoenix Contact
Luke Smaul, Executive – Product and Strategy, GE Vernova
Jim Wetzel, Executive – Engineering and Reliability, NxGen; formerly with General Mills
Interested in a leadership role or volunteering with the Industry 4.0 Club? Send a DM to Mike Ungar.
Why do production delays, material shortages, scheduling conflicts, equipment disruptions, and communication gaps continue to occur despite significant technology investments? Watch David Caputo, Co-Founder of Harmoni Solutions, to learn why many manufacturers are better orchestrating operations—connecting people, machines, materials, and systems so the factory can respond intelligently to change in real time. Topics include:
Why today's manufacturing technology stack often leaves critical execution gaps
What factory orchestration is—and why it's different from MES or traditional scheduling systems
How leading manufacturers are synchronizing production, maintenance, quality, logistics, and workforce activities in real time
Practical starting points and high-value use cases for organizations looking to improve shop floor execution
How AI, digital twins, and autonomous operations will shape the next generation of orchestrated manufacturing
AI is transforming manufacturing operations, but successful adoption requires leadership and change management. Our new blog from Mike Ungar, CEO of Industry 4.0 Club and FocalPoint Business Coach and Executive Coach, explores how manufacturing leaders can guide teams through AI-driven change with clarity, trust, and practical change management strategies.
Why AI initiatives often stall before scaling
How leaders can reduce workforce resistance and build trust
A practical change management framework for AI adoption
Steps manufacturers can take to turn AI experimentation into operational advantage
Get a quick look at how AI-driven product modeling can help teams evaluate design options, from battery sizes to broader product configurations, before committing resources. This video short features Laura Beckwith, Director of Product Management at Configit.
July 29th webinar – Human-Centered AI: Building the Workforce of the Future in Advanced Manufacturing
August 5th webinar – People Before Platforms: What It Takes to Lead Successful Technology Change. Watch LinkedIn for our invite coming soon!
August 12th webinar – Agentic AI in Action: Scaling Manufacturing Transformation. Watch LinkedIn for our invite coming soon!
September 30-October 1 – 3rd MX.0 Midwest, Cleveland, Ohio
October 28-29 – MD&M Midwest, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Shaping the Future is brought to you with support from our partners and sponsors:
Breaking the Bottleneck - A weekly-ish manufacturing and physical AI newsletter and interview series from industrial tech expert Aditya Raghupathy.
CESMII: The Smart Manufacturing Institute - CESMII is working to reduce cost, complexity and time-to-value, so all manufacturers can engage in Smart Manufacturing. CESMII drives and funds the innovation and R&D necessary to dramatically reduce the cost & complexity of using real-time operations data, accelerating new productivity growth, and ultimately, competitiveness.
Informa Media - Informa champions specialists working in academic and business-to-business markets, connecting people with knowledge to help them learn more, know more and do more.
MD&M Trade Shows - For nearly 40 years, MD&M expositions and conferences have been the trusted resource nationwide for every aspect of advanced manufacturing development.
MX.0 Media - MX.0 Media’s in-person events and online platforms are where manufacturers connect and share real-world digital transformation and Industry 4.0 lessons, building relationships that propel their businesses, careers, regional and national economies forward.
Society of Women Engineers - SWE is a not-for-profit educational and service organization that empowers women to succeed and advance in the field of engineering, and to be recognized for their life-changing contributions as engineers and leaders.
Join the Industry 4.0 Club and be part of our vibrant community, dedicated to shaping the future of manufacturing. By actively participating, you can make a meaningful impact in advancing Industry 4.0 and contribute to reshaping the manufacturing landscape.
We’re always looking for new contributors to share their expertise, experience and spread the word. You can contact us directly at info@industry40club.com with a subject such as “Getting Involved” and follow us on all social media (LinkedIn & YouTube) or donate to help fund the club’s activities.
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