The MFG Meeting 2026 showed that manufacturing’s future will be defined not just by technology but also by how people think, lead, and act.
Industry leaders came together to connect and tackle a central challenge: navigating rapid change. The program covered digital manufacturing, applying artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, understanding the economic outlook, rethinking strategy and decision-making, and identifying new opportunities in defense and biomanufacturing. The event closed with a message of resilience and action, culminating in the presentation of AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology’s prestigious Albert W. Moore AMT Leadership Award.
Connecting Data, Machines, and Policy
AMT President Doug Woods opened the meeting with a clear message[KK1] : Manufacturing is entering a new phase of convergence between the physical and digital worlds, and AMT intends to help its members lead through it.
From open standards like MTConnect to emerging platforms such as Nvidia’s Omniverse and OpenUSD, Woods outlined how interoperability and data enable new levels of visibility, simulation, and decision-making. Initiatives like programmable cloud labs and “fractional AI factories” are giving manufacturers new ways to experiment and adopt advanced capabilities without massive upfront investment.
This convergence of data, infrastructure, and capability is also reshaping how manufacturing is viewed at the national level.
“Right now, the White House and agencies all have a focus on what’s happening in manufacturing,” Woods said, pointing to a growing alignment between industry capability and national priorities.
From Hype to Application: AI Operations and Automation
Two sessions centered on AI applications in real manufacturing environments: operational systems and machine vision within robotics.
Jannik Wiedenhaupt of SupplyCo AI demonstrated how AI improves commercial and operational workflows. From strengthening CRM performance to identifying new opportunities and prioritizing sales efforts, AI helps teams concentrate on higher-value work without requiring large-scale transformation.
The key, he emphasized, is to start small and improve tasks that deliver immediate value rather than pursue large, disruptive transformations.
This approach carried over into the session on AI-enabled robotics, where Simon Lapeyry of Intrinsic, an AI and robotics group at Google, explored how AI-enabled perception, grasp planning, motion planning, and sensor-guided insertion are improving operational efficiency and accelerating time-to-value in high-mix manufacturing environments. Intrinsic’s technology is already being deployed by companies like United Grinding and Foxconn, helping robots adapt to variability and perform a wider range of tasks with less manual programming.
Together, the sessions outlined how AI in manufacturing is moving into targeted, real-world applications that improve performance and expand capability.
Economic Clarity in an Uncertain Cycle
Connor Lokar of ITR Economics walked attendees through dozens of graphs showing where the economy stands today and where it’s headed. After a period of uneven performance across sectors, manufacturing is expected to see an uptick through 2026, especially in aerospace and defense sectors, followed by a more challenging environment in 2027. While Lokar went on to detail some likely challenges, ITR’s own analysis shows that cutting tool consumption continued to increase slightly in 2027, and Oxford Economics predicts flat to slightly elevated machinery orders. He reiterated a longer-term need to prepare for ITR’s forecast of a significant downturn in 2030.
One tool Lokar recommends to manufacturers to help them forecast is to compare month-over-month and year-over-year sales to identify cycles. Companies that understand where they are in the cycle and act accordingly are far better positioned to manage risk through sales planning, inventory management, and identifying investment opportunities. His closing advice: “Make hay in 2026.”
Rethinking Strategy and Leadership
If economics defines the terrain, strategy defines how to move through it.
Kaihan Krippendorff, founder of Outthinker, challenged attendees to rethink how value is created in what he calls the “proximity revolution,” in which winning companies create value closer to the point of demand, both in time and space.
That shift requires more than incremental improvement. It demands new thinking, or what he calls “outthinking.” He pointed to tools like his “9P” framework to structure strategy, while emphasizing the role of “productive imagination” in shaping future-focused decisions.
“Incumbents remain good at doing things that don’t matter anymore,” he said, urging leaders to identify where outdated assumptions may be holding them back. Yet many of those assumptions are deeply embedded, shaping how leaders interpret problems and make decisions, often without realizing it.
Sam Potolicchio, Ph.D., president of the Preparing Global Leaders Forum and professor at Georgetown University, reinforced that message from a leadership perspective, examining how decision-makers operate in an increasingly complex world. Using the “orange” analogy (featured in The MFG Meeting’s own visual theme), he illustrated that instinct could limit better outcomes.
When asked how to divide an orange, most people default to cutting it in half. But that assumes both parties want the same thing. By asking a simple question, “What do you need it for?” a better solution emerges: one person may want the juice, while the other needs the rind. With curiosity and questions, both can get 100% of what they need.
Potolicchio used this and other examples, from the NFL to perception “eye tests,” to show how cognitive bias and assumptions often get in the way of effective decision-making. Leaders, he argued, must learn to move beyond instinct and surface-level thinking.
Better decisions come from asking questions, understanding context, and recognizing uncertainty.
Manufacturing Technology and National Security
The importance of manufacturing technology extends beyond commercial success, and it is also central to national security.
Veronica Daigle, president of Red Cell Partners’ National Security Practice, joined Brennan Grignon, CEO and co-founder of Vantive AI, to discuss the growing importance of data and digital tools in managing the complex supply chains behind modern defense systems.
“It’s about the machine tools,” Grignon said. “Without them, nothing else gets built.”
Digital tools are beginning to address these challenges by improving transparency, identifying dependencies, and enabling faster response to disruption.
The conversation continued in a panel on defense engagement, moderated by Dan Bagley, principal at Strategic Ink. The panel featured retired Navy Cmdr. Vince Stammetti, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Blue Forge Alliance, and Jon Glass, executive director of the Defense Industrial Base Institute (DIBI) at Northeastern University.
Bagley offered a checklist for manufacturing technology companies to become more involved in defense production, particularly as the U.S. Navy expands its maritime industrial base, including submarine programs. Meeting that demand will require both increased capacity and a more connected supplier network.
Stammetti emphasized the need to bridge the gap between industry and defense, including bringing in veterans who understand military requirements and can help translate them into manufacturing capabilities.
Panelists noted the range of capabilities needed across the supply chain, from machining and fabrication to additive manufacturing, automation, and inspection, along with the growing role of digital shipyard initiatives that connect data, design, and production.
“Strengthening the defense industrial base requires a broader manufacturing ecosystem,” said Glass.
This ecosystem extends beyond traditional defense suppliers. Distributed manufacturing offers a way to tap into capacity across a wider network of companies.
New Opportunities in Biomanufacturing
“Manufacturing is how science reaches people,” explained Julie Lenzer, a successful tech entrepreneur and former chief innovation officer of the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI).
Lenzer underscored biomanufacturing as a $260 billion market poised for growth as cell and gene therapies scale. ARMI, a Department of Defense-sponsored institute, is advancing the U.S. bioeconomy through its BioFabUSA program, building a secure and scalable domestic ecosystem.
Realizing that potential requires highly controlled, sterile processes, advanced automation, and resilient supply chains. This is both a significant opportunity and a complex challenge for manufacturers.
Resilience, Perspective, and Taking Action
J.R. Martinez brought the meeting to a powerful close, reinforcing themes that had surfaced throughout the program from rethinking assumptions to taking action.
A wounded U.S. Army veteran, Martinez shared how he survived severe burns after his Humvee struck an improvised explosive device in Iraq. In that moment, when he felt close to passing out, he took the only action available, zeroing in on his breathing amid the flames, staying present until help arrived.
The same mindset carried forward. Through recovery and an unexpected transition into acting, Martinez spoke about adapting, shifting perspective, and moving forward when the path is unclear. He also credited his mother’s encouragement to stay curious, ask questions, and try something different when stuck.
“Adversity is a terrible thing to waste,” he said. In many ways, adversity is the starting point; where perspective shifts, assumptions are challenged, and meaningful progress begins.
Beyond the Sessions: Connection and Community
As speakers delivered their insights, the program created space for conversations. Highlights featured a Havana nights-themed reception sponsored by Kennametal; a craft beer break sponsored by Rego-Fix; a golf outing; and two guest programs showcasing Fort Lauderdale.
That spirit carried into the AMT Chairman’s Reception and Dinner, sponsored by SMW Autoblok, where Woods presented the Al Moore Award to Harry Moser in honor of his decades of leadership in reshoring and strengthening U.S. manufacturing[KK2] .
The recognition reflected a core theme of the meeting: Progress is driven by those who take action, challenge assumptions, move the industry forward, and set an example attendees can carry forward to lead, decide, and act with greater purpose.
If you’ve read this far, consider this just a glimpse of the insights gained and connections made. Don’t miss the next opportunity to gain perspective, build relationships, and prepare for your future! Ride the waves of change with us in Maui, Hawaii, at The MFG Meeting 2027.
