International Conference on Partnerships Between Small Manufacturers and Universities for Technological Innovation, Education, and Economic Development

Kansas State University, Manhattan KS

Investigators

Abstract

This Small Grant project proposes to organize an international conference for presentation and discussion of models of partnership between universities and small manufacturing companies in the US and around the world that have proven to be efficient and effective. While major corporations have long been involved in such partnerships for research and development of new technologies, it makes even more sense for smaller manufacturers to do so, because they often lack R&D capabilities themselves; because smaller firms as a whole now hire more new graduates than larger companies; and because smaller firms are often more community oriented. The Advanced Manufacturing Institute of Kansas State University through its Manufacturing Learning Center and support from NSF, NIST and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers has developed an innovative model that integrates education and training, research, and economic development in partnership with a large number of small-to-medium-sized manufacturing companies. Other models of such partnerships exist elsewhere around the world. This conference will provide a forum for presentation and discussion of both the Kansas State activities and other successful working partnerships from around the world, thus publicizing the results of earlier NSF-supported research and extending the prior effort.