Hardware Podcasts

202: What is MxD? The Digital Manufacturing and Cybersecurity Institute That's Fortifying U.S. Manufacturing with CEO Berardino Baratta

Manufacturing Happy Hour · 10 Sept 2024 · 41m

What this episode covers

Berardino Baratta, CEO of MxD (The Digital Manufacturing and Cybersecurity Institute), explains how the organization helps U.S. manufacturers adopt digital technologies and secure their supply chains. He details MxD's evolution from a 10-year-old digital manufacturing institute to a cybersecurity-focused entity, highlighting projects with partners like Boeing, Rolls-Royce, and D-Wave. Baratta emphasizes the critical need to uplift small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through workforce training and cybersecurity compliance, specifically addressing the 'valley of death' between research and commercialization.

Most relevant to

established companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
MxD, Boeing, Rolls-Royce, D-Wave, Siemens, AT&T, Cisco, Google
Also
Berardino Baratta, NIST MEP, CMMC

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 35m

    Supporting Advanced Manufacturing at a State Level w/ Bryce Carpenter

    Bryce Carpenter, Executive Vice President and Chief Operations and Strategy Officer at Conexus Indiana, explains how state-level organizations support manufacturers in digital adoption and workforce alignment. He details the 'Industry Exchange Workshops' designed to help small and mid-sized manufacturers identify real business problems before chasing technology, emphasizing data fundamentals and ROI assessment. Carpenter also discusses the critical need to align education curricula with industry needs and highlights the importance of peer-to-peer learning networks to overcome workforce fears and implementation barriers.

    Scaling productionAI & machine learning
    7 chapters

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 29m

    Cyber Security in Manufacturing w/ Jason Ray

    Jason Ray, Co-Founder and CEO of Paperless Parts, discusses the critical importance of cybersecurity in the manufacturing sector, particularly for companies serving the defense industrial base. He explains the evolution from ITAR self-certification to the rigorous CMMC compliance framework, detailing how digital transformation has blurred data boundaries and increased risk. Ray outlines a five-step checklist for shops to prepare for CMMC audits and highlights how secure data handling has become a competitive selling tool for OEMs.

    Security & privacyCertification & compliance
    6 chapters

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 31m

    The Great Equalizer: How Digitalization is Changing Manufacturing

    Raj Batra, President of Digital Industries for Siemens USA, explains how digitalization acts as a 'great equalizer' for small and mid-sized manufacturers by providing scalable access to enterprise-grade technology. He details the shift from physical trial-and-error to virtual simulation using digital twins, which allows companies to perfect processes offline before physical deployment. Batra also discusses how additive manufacturing enables distributed production by treating digital files as a new form of transportation, reducing reliance on complex global supply chains. Finally, he addresses the critical need for digital modernization to attract a tech-savvy workforce and leverage federal incentives like the CHIPS Act.

    Connected products & IoTScaling production
    8 chapters

  • The Manufacturing Executive

    From Paper and Spreadsheets to Connected Data: Making the Digital Leap w/ Ian Burns

    Ian Burns, President of Applied Control Engineering (ACE), discusses the transition of midsize manufacturers from paper and spreadsheets to connected, data-driven environments. He explains how digital twins are used for operator training and control system validation to reduce downtime, and highlights the critical need for Operational Technology (OT) cybersecurity as systems become interconnected. Burns also notes that despite economic uncertainty, manufacturers can find value in incremental data investments rather than just large capital projects.

    Connected products & IoTSecurity & privacy
    6 chapters

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 31m

    A Digital Backbone for Factories of the Future w/ Ryan Kuhlenbeck

    Ryan Kuhlenbeck, Co-Founder and CEO of Pico MES, discusses the critical need for a digital backbone in small to mid-sized manufacturing supply chains. Drawing on his experience at General Motors, Tesla, and Ultimotors, he explains how disconnected data creates bottlenecks and quality issues that large OEMs struggle to resolve. Kuhlenbeck outlines how Pico MES provides a flexible Manufacturing Execution System (MES) that integrates shop-floor tools with ERP systems to enable real-time traceability and continuous improvement. He argues that this digital connectivity is essential for suppliers to de-risk new EV component production and retain skilled labor by reducing operator anxiety.

    Connected products & IoTHiring & workforce
    7 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Manufacturing Happy Hour. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.