Indiana manufacturing | Pittsburgh’s Digital Foundry | Touring a home with VR
“Adaptability is about the powerful difference between adapting to cope and adapting to win.” — Max McKeown
Today’s itinerary:
November 19, 2020
FLIGHT PLAN
Indiana to launch smart manufacturing hub for skills training Photo Credit GE Additive
You might be surprised to learn that Indiana is one of the largest manufacturing states in the nation. With 8,500 facilities, including 500 automotive suppliers, the Hoosier state is the second largest automotive sector by GDP in the US, with the highest concentration of manufacturing jobs in the nation. And manufacturing is changing fast.
“Collaboration with industry sits at the very core of our strategy,” GE Additive Innovation Leader Josh Mook told WBIW. “We deliberately set out to identify a select group of strategic partners that could help us develop a real-world solution."
Indiana’s 21st Century Research and Technology Fund is picking up the center’s $3 million dollar tab. A virtual industry day on December 8 will give manufacturers and other stakeholders a first look at plans for the facility and an opportunity to participate in workshops. Share this story!
INNOVATORS PODCAST
Digging for data in dirt The IoT of barbed wire? Data you can dig out of dirt, literally?
Jon Clark and Travis Triplett at ADK Group manage every aspect of a digital journey - from the website all the way to the manufacturing floor. Hear how a love of analog and an appreciation for the value of a digital "waste product" have helped them figure out how to run companies more efficiently and solve problems before they surface. They join hosts Ben Reno-Weber from Louisville's Future of Work Initiative and executive producer Brian Eichenberger for a new episode of Fast Future's Innovators podcast. You can also listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, or wherever else you get your podcasts.
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ON THE RADAR
PA lab space will promote innovation and business growth New Kensington, PA—a mere 17 miles from downtown Pittsburgh—was a nineteenth century hub for aluminum manufacturing. Now it’s reinventing itself as a hub for tech innovation, as evidenced by the recent groundbreaking for the Digital Foundry, a lab space that will enable makers, entrepreneurs, businesses, and students to learn about advanced manufacturing processes like 3D printing and digital design.
The 15,000-square-foot facility will be located along five blocks of New Kensington’s main street, aka “The Corridor of Innovation.” The Richard King Mellon Foundation has kicked in $5.5 million for construction costs, and Penn State is contributing $1 million for ongoing operating expenses. The Digital Foundry is expected to open in late 2021. Share this story!
VR helps keep the Omaha real estate market moving Buying or selling a home during a pandemic may not sound like a great idea, since it’s hard to remain isolated or distanced when you’re touring houses.
Technology to the rescue! These days, buyers can slap on an Oculus headset and let 6D virtual reality take them through every inch of a house—even opening closets and looking under counters (without inhaling any overlooked cat hair).
Jeff Cohn, owner of Omaha’s kwElite, adopted VR tech to give buyers and sellers that experience. He partnered with VR firm VRLY (“Make every day an open house”) and now customers can take home video tours, view drone Fast Future footage, and meet virtually or in person with real estate agents, lenders, insurers, and title companies. Share this story!
Minnesota finishes biggest VC quarter ever 2020's third quarter was the strongest quarter the city of Minnesota has ever had for venture capital deals, according to the PricewaterhouseCoopers/CB Insights MoneyTree Report.
Some of the deals VC made in Minneapolis in 2020’s third quarter include:
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FUELING THE FUTURE
What is fueling Fast Future Country innovation? In this weekly feature, we share a variety of announcements covering funding, acquisitions, exits, grants, and everything in between. Got something to celebrate? Click here to share your story.
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NAME THAT Fast Future CITY!
It's time for our favorite trivia game!
Are you ready for some football? This week we take a look at some of the greatest plays from NFL teams located in Fast Future Country.
Click here for today's answers.
REACH OUT Share stories, offer suggestions, or send comments!
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