_{Posted on: March 27, 2023
By Chase Bussell, busselld@sc.edu}

The University of South Carolina held its first South Carolina Smart Manufacturing Summit last week. Led by Dr. Ramy Harik and sponsored by the National Science Foundation, USC Office of Economic Engagement, and S.C. Manufacturing Extension Partnership, the summit provided an opportunity for manufacturers throughout South Carolina to explore and embrace the latest advancements in smart manufacturing.

“The goal of this event was to provide our state’s manufactures the opportunity to experience the capabilities and resources the university has to offer them to stay ahead of the curve and gain a competitive edge in the ever-evolving landscape of smart manufacturing,” said Dr. Harik. “Together, we can propel South Carolina to greater heights in the field of smart manufacturing.”

Attendees of the summit gained an understanding of these cutting-edge technologies and how they can be integrated into future business. The summit provided insight into technologies like IoT, computer vision, and data analytics, all of which can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of manufacturing.

“We strive to connect the state’s top manufacturers with the innovative capabilities of the university at the Office of Economic Engagement,” said Bill Kirkland, USC Office of Economic Engagement executive director. “Events like this provide a platform to showcase the value the university can provide through industry partnerships across the state.”

The summit also offered workshops covering topics that are critical to advancing manufacturing in South Carolina including, civil infrastructure, data, cyber, and physical systems. Additionally, programming highlighting the challenges and opportunities of industrial controls, with a specific focus on addressing gaps in current programmable logic controllers (PLCs) used in manufacturing facilities.