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…Over in Ann Arbor, Richard B. Jarman, president and CEO of the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS), agrees that a transformation is under way and needs to be nurtured. “So much is currently dedicated to the automotive industry, but that doesn’t mean it has to be,” he says. “What I see in Michigan, and what I am so optimistic about, is that people (in the traditional automotive-related businesses) understand how to engineer and make things. That capability can cross all kinds of industries.”

“We need to build an innovation ecosystem, if you will,” Jarman explains. “The ecosystem has three major components. The first is talent, and we’ve got plenty of that. The second is continuous investment in that innovative ecosystem. And last but not least, and often overlooked, an infrastructure that says, ‘We know in an innovative way how to manage intellectual property, and we know how to maintain a steady flow of capital and financing when needed.’ . . . I have been in other areas of the country, other areas of the so-called rust belt, where they experience a real brain drain, but there’s a lot of talent in Michigan, and all we need to do is make sure we can invent a system to thrive.”

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Michigan executives urge need for energy policy during panel discussion

While Michigan and other states are enacting laws to stimulate alternative energy production, consensus among business leaders appears to be building for the creation of a national energy policy.

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Seeking an ‘assembly line’ for alternative energy

Following the publication in September of Michigan Business Review’s 70-page supplement on alternative energy in Michigan, we’ve received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback.

It also gave me the chance to moderate a panel discussion Thursday for the Ann Arbor-based National Center for Manufacturing Sciences. The panel, which focused on the intersection of alternative energy and manufacturing, featured two utility officials, a venture capitalist, a business executive and a carbon trading proponent. Quite the mixture.

U.S. Sen Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan, also shared some thoughts and observed the discussion.

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The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) held an Executive Roundtable on the topic of Energy and Environmental Sustainability with special guest, The Honorable Debbie Stabenow, United States Senate at its headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Two panels discussed Sustainable Energy with moderator Nathan Bomey of the Michigan Business Review and Environmental Sustainability with moderator Jay Richardson, President of Sustainable Business Solutions.

Panelists Include:

1. Dr. William F. Feretti, VP – Chicago Climate Exchange
2. Maurice E.P. Gunderson, Senior Partner – CMEA Ventures
3. Jackson L. Hanson, VP, Generation Engineering & Services – CMS Energy
4. Trevor F. Lauer, VP, Retail Marketing – DTE Energy
5. Charles Newman, Founder & CEO – ReCellular, Inc.
6. Daniel Steinmetz, Manager, Product Stewardship – BASF
7. John J. Viera, Director, Sustainable Business Strategies – Ford Motor Company
8. Joseph Welch, President & CEO – ITC Holdings
9. Gabe Wing, Manager, Design for the Environment – Herman Miller, Inc.

NCMS, with its long history of bringing together innovators in industry, academia and government is seeking to initiate a more effective collaboration between these groups to create a platform for sustainable manufacturing that will have value for American manufacturers and the Nation.

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NCMS is nearing completion on new corporate training workshops for industry, including Lean Product Design and Sustainability, that will soon be offered to industry nationwide. These workshops will provide companies with an understanding of how to apply Lean principles to product design, and will provide an in-depth understanding of sustainability.  Companies can apply this knowledge to satisfy increasing demands for more environmentally-friendly products from consumers, retailers, and the media.

During the rollout phase, NCMS members can arrange for training sessions to be delivered at their facilities at a nominal cost. 

For details, contact Paul Chalmer, (734) 995-4911,  

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NCMS is a supporting organization for Management Roundtable’s fall conference, Profiting from Lean Product Development: Toyota Methods and Beyond, to be held October 14 – 15, 2008 in Chicago, IL. This brand new event will bring together leading thought leaders and advanced practitioners to discuss multiple approaches for incorporating lean concepts into product development to achieve breakthrough improvements and a competitive advantage in product development performance. NCMS Executive Director Lean Product Development Initiative Michael Gnam will lead a half-day workshop on Product Development for the Lean Enterprise.

The event features keynote presenters including James Luckman, Partner, Lean Transformations Group, LLC; Dr. James Morgan, Director, Body Exteriors & Stamping Business Unit Engineering, Ford Motor Company; Don Reinertsen, President, Reinertsen & Associates and author of Managing the Design Factory and case presentations from Steelcase, Microsoft, Abbott Diagnostics, Pfizer, Caterpillar, GE Healthcare and more.

Also, please note that NCMS members receive a special discount of $200 off the conference registration fee (*discount may not be combined with other discounts).

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