Manufacturing Leaders Uncover how Emerging Trends, Digital Media, Technology and Materials will Transform the Manufacturing Industry

- Industry innovators convene at the 10th annual Manufacturing Leadership Summit

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Feb. 26, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- From digital design, to fashion- how are these factors going to change the manufacturing industry in 2030? The 2014 Manufacturing Leadership Summit (ML Summit) (http://mlsummit.com), hosted by the Manufacturing Leadership Council of Frost & Sullivan, will bring together leadership teams from all sectors of manufacturing to explore the most urgent issues and emerging opportunities facing the manufacturing industry today. The ML Summit will take place June 3 to 5, 2014 at the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach, Fla.

"It all starts with being able to visualize the future," said Heather Holst-Knudsen, president of the Manufacturing Leadership Council. "Disruptive innovations are as demanding as new sets of rules about how we lead, organize, operate and manage our teams and companies. The ML Summit program is designed to focus on the strategies of tomorrow—in an environment designed to enable collaboration with others who are committed to the future of our industry."

ML Summit speakers include:

• Anne Filson and Gary Rohrbacher, Co-founders, AtFAB: Architectural designers Filson and Rohrbacher will reveal how the confluence of advanced digital design, computer-aided fabrication tools and global "maker" networks is inspiring a new generation of manufacturing innovators.
• Dr. Aziz Asphahani, President and CEO, QuesTek Innovations LLC: Dr. Asphahani will cover the vast potential of integrated computational materials engineering and how innovation partnerships can accelerate the discovery and implementation of breakthrough materials.
• Francis Bitonti, Principal and Founder of Francis Bitonti Studio: Bitonti uses a blend of computer-driven techniques and cutting edge manufacturing technologies to realize what has been called by the press "alien" objects and space. Bitonti will show how the integration of new technologies in computational design, construction, and manufacturing is defining the future of luxury design.
• Ralph Resnick, President and Executive Director of the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM), and Founder and Director, America Makes: The founding director of America Makes will update delegates on the progress of the first of the technology "accelerators" charged with revitalizing manufacturing competitiveness in the U.S.
• Dr. Stephen Hoover, CEO, Palo Alto Research Center (PARC): Dr. Hoover will discuss the trends that promise to radically change the design process and the way things are built, as well as alter the way entrepreneurial manufacturers access funding and spur innovation.

Additionally, there will be a panel moderated by Allison Grealis, Director, Women in Manufacturing, Precision Metalforming Association, titled, "Beyond Gender: Women in Leadership Roles." As manufacturers struggle to find people with the right skills to assume leadership roles in their organizations, there is an under-utilized source to help fill the requirements – women. Panelists will discuss what factors may be holding back women from assuming key positions, advancement opportunities now available, and what organizations can do to change the equation.

Panelists will include:

• Karla Aaron, President, Haileah Metal Spinning, Inc.
• Tami Gilbert, Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Trinity Industries, Inc.
• Tonya H. Jackson, Vice President, Global Supply Chain Operations, Lexmark International, Inc.
• Cindy Reese, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Operations, Oracle Corp.
• Susan Welsh, President and Chief Executive Officer, Rubadue Wire

Expert presentations will also address how cloud and big data related to mobile and social, will play out in manufacturing and whether "reshoring" is a critical long-term trend or a temporary phenomenon.

The ML Summit program concludes on June 5^th with the presentation and celebration of the Manufacturing Leadership Awards honoring companies and executives who are shaping the future of global manufacturing with breakthrough projects and outstanding individual achievement.

The Summit will be supported by 25 manufacturing solutions providers, including 3D printing, enterprise mobility, cloud computing, ERP, PLM, MES, MOM, big data/analytics, economic development, business strategy consulting, lean manufacturing, collaboration solutions and more.

The following organizations have announced their sponsorship:

• AT&T Inc.
• Cisco
• Dassault Systemes
• E2open
• IQMS
• Louisiana Economic Development
• Mitsubishi Electric
• PTC
• Siemens PLM Software

Click here to register for the Manufacturing Leadership Summit, or visit: http://mlsummit.com/. For more information, please email Liz Clark, Frost & Sullivan Corporate Communications, at liz.clark@frost.com.