Emerging Issues forum focuses on manufacturing in NC

Executives, thought leaders and politicians from across North Carolina and the country converge in Raleigh today and tomorrow to discuss the future of manufacturing in the state at the annual Emerging Issues Forum.

The conference is scheduled at the Raleigh Convention Center.

“Manufacturing is in the midst of a generational change, disrupting the economic and cultural fabric of North Carolina. At the same time, we remain the fourth most productive manufacturing state in the country,” the Institute for Emerging Issues says.

“North Carolina’s manufacturing sector leads a vibrant, innovative economy with networked communities, a growing entrepreneurial and maker culture, and a strong commercial finance sector.”

The conference agenda:

Monday, Feb. 11

8:00 – 8:20 A.M. OPENING SESSION

W.Randolph Woodson, Chancellor, North Carolina State University
James B. Hunt, Jr., Former Governor, State of North Carolina & Chair, Institute for Emerging Issues
Anita R. Brown-Graham, Director, Institute for Emerging Issues

8:20 – 9:05 A.M. REVIVING AMERICA’S MANUFACTURING

Introduction by Peter Hans, Chair, University of North Carolina Board of Governors & Senior Policy Advisor, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough

Andrew Liveris, President, Chairman and CEO, The Dow Chemical Company

9:10 – 9:35 A.M. A NATIONAL MANUFACTURING BLUEPRINT

Introduction by Bonnie Renfro, Past-President, North Carolina Economic Developers Association & President, Randolph County Economic Development Corporation

Tom Kurfess, Assistant Director, Advanced Manufacturing, Office of Science & Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President

9:35 – 10:15 A.M. THE VIEW FROM CAPITOL HILL

Moderated by Jim Owens, Retired CEO, Caterpillar

Kay Hagan, Senator, U.S. Congress
Richard Burr, Senator, U.S. Congress

10:30 – 10:55 A.M. STATE SPOTLIGHT: MAKING MANUFACTURING WORK IN MASSACHUSETTS

Introduction by Tim Boyum, Anchor and Host of Capital Tonight, News 14 Carolina

Eric Nakajima, Assistant Secretary for Innovation Policy, Executive Office of Housing & Economic Development, State of Massachusetts

10:55 – 11:05 A.M. EMERGING ISSUES PRIZE: HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION
11:05 – 11:45 A.M. NAVIGATING EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES

Moderated by Diane Duff, Executive Director, Southern Governors Association

Gart Davis, Co-Founder & Partner, Spoonflower
James Wind, Chief Financial Officer, Flow Sciences, Inc.

11:45 – 12:30 P.M. A NEW MANUFACTURING CLUSTER – LIVING ORGANS

Moderated by Leah Brown, President and CEO, A10 Clinical Solutions

Anthony Atala, Director, Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine & Chair, Department of Urology, Wake Forest School of Medicine
Jorge Piedrahita, Professor of Genomics and Director, Center for Comparative Medicine and Translational Research, College of Veterinary Medicine, NC State University

12:30 – 2:00 P.M. LUNCH: A NEW MANUFACTURING MARKETPLACE – INTEGRATED AND DIY

Chris Anderson, CEO, 3D Robotics & Former Editor, Wired Magazine

2:15 – 4:00 P.M. REGIONAL MANUFACTURING CONVERSATIONS: BREAKOUT SESSIONS

The sessions will cover the regional variation in manufacturing, ignite a conversation about how to close the skills gap and life up communities that are successfully working to grow the manufacturing economy. The sessions will be supplemented by data on the region’s manufacturing picture to more carefully craft a dialogue for participants.

4:00 – 4:15 P.M. EMERGING ISSUES PRIZE: COLLEGE DIVISION
4:15 – 4:55 P.M. NEW PLATFORMS FOR FUNDING THE YEARS AHEAD

Session Introduced by Steve Nelson, Partner & Managing Director, The Wakefield Group

Danae Ringelmann, Co-Founder, Indiegogo
Aly Khalifa, Design & Managing Director, Gamil Design
Marc Noel, Founder & CEO, Acorn Innovestments, LLC

Tuesday, Feb. 12

8:00 – 8:10 A.M. INSIGHTS ON MANUFACTURING IN NORTH CAROLINA

Anita R. Brown-Graham

8:10 – 9:10 A.M. COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: MANUFACTURING SUCCESS

Session Introduction by Nancy McFarlane, Mayor, City of Raleigh

Tom Barrett, Mayor, City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin
John Campbell, Chairman of the Board, WasteZero
Will Sagar, Executive Director, Southeast Recycling Development Council

9:10 – 9:50 A.M. RESPONDING TO REGIONAL SESSIONS

Anita R. Brown-Graham

Sharon Decker, Secretary, N.C. Department of Commerce
Billy Ray Hall, President, N.C. Rural Economic Development Center
Lew Ebert, President and CEO, North Carolina Chamber

10:00 – 10:50 A.M. REBRANDING MANUFACTURING: INVOLVING K-12 EDUCATORS

Moderated by Jayne Fleener, Dean, College of Education, NC State University

Ron Mahle, Assistant Director, Monroe-Union County Economic Development
Steven Rotman, Owner and President, Ameritech Die and Mold
Lonnie Love, Group Leader, Automation, Robotics & Manufacturing, Oak Ridge National Labs
June Atkinson, Superintendent, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction

10:50 – 11:40 A.M. SPECIALIZING SKILLS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGES

Moderated by Machelle Sanders, Vice-President, Manufacturing & General Manager, Biogen Idec

Jennifer McNelly, President, The Manufacturing Institute, National Association of Manufacturers
Gary Green, President, Forsyth Technical Community College
Amogh Bhonde, Plant Manager, Siemens Energy
Scott Ralls, President, North Carolina Community College System

11:40 – 12:30 P.M. MANUFACTURING AND THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM: R&D COLLABORATION

Moderated by Terri Helmlinger Ratcliff, Executive Director, Industrial Extension Services, NC State University

Will Powers, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Rolls-Royce North America
Barry Johnson, Professor and Senior Associate Dean, College of Engineering, University of Virginia, Board Chair of Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing
Tom Ross, President, The University of North Carolina