Last updated on October 22nd, 2024 at 12:52 pm
One year ago the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI) officially launched the Manufacturing 4.0 Consortium to address new investments in America’s manufacturing infrastructure and an increased focus on AI and automation. The Consortium serves as a key connection point between Georgia Tech and industry partners — and as fertile ground for collaborative innovation.
Now, the Consortium counts more than 25 founding company members, which form a network of engaged manufacturers from across the country. Georgia Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing provides support through its partner projects and assistance in automation and smart technology.
“By bringing us all together, we can do bigger, more meaningful things and find unique ways and opportunities to get money flowing back to the companies and Georgia Tech,” said professor Aaron Stebner, who serves on the board of the Consortium. Stebner is the Eugene C. Gwaltney Jr. Chair in Manufacturing in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering.
To join the Consortium, industry members pay up to $10,000 annually to access its network, intellectual property, and facilities. With a 10% membership discount for Georgia businesses and a 75% discount for small businesses, the Consortium especially aims to promote growth for small Georgia manufacturers.
Memberships come with time at the Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility, is expanding thanks to funding from Georgia AIM to be a test bed for new autonomous research and development.
“Having a shared use facility that is fully equipped to solve manufacturing’s most interesting challenges is not only a perk of Consortium memberships,” said Executive Director Steven Ferguson, “but it also serves as a hub for innovation in manufacturing.”