John Hart | Digital Thread Podcast | Momenta

Manufacturing at MIT 

Inside MIT’s efforts to accelerate the future of production

Welcome to an exciting new episode of the Digital Thread podcast! In this edition, our host Ken Forster sits down with a true visionary in manufacturing, Professor John Hart. John holds the esteemed position of Professor and Department Head of Mechanical Engineering at MIT and is the Founder and Director of the MIT Center for Additive and Digital Advanced Production Technologies (APT).

John's expertise spans a wide range of fascinating areas, including additive manufacturing, nano-structured materials, and the integration of computation and automation in process discovery. He also teaches undergraduate, graduate, and professional courses on campus, and his online courses have enrolled over 100,000 learners. Additionally, he is a co-founder of VulcanForms and Desktop Metal and a Board Member of Carpenter Technology Corporation.

We're honored to have John join us as we dive into the realms of additive manufacturing, digital production technologies, and the future of manufacturing. Get ready for an enlightening conversation on the Digital Thread podcast!

Discussion Points:

• What would you consider your digital thread (the one or more thematic threads that define your digital industry journey?
• I was delighted to observe your early involvement at General Motors, collaborating across various engineering groups. How did this initial experience inspire your academic pursuits?
• Your entrepreneurial spirit shines through as you have co-founded multiple startups, including Absolute Nano, Vulcan Forms, and Desktop Metal. Could you share some insights about each venture?
• As a founder and scaler of deep tech startups, what valuable lessons have you learned? How have you integrated these insights into your teaching and research?
• 2018 you established the MIT Center for Additive and Digital Advanced Production Technologies. Could you elaborate on the program's focus and highlight some notable achievements?
• Recently, you initiated Manufacturing@MIT, a comprehensive endeavor spanning the entire institute dedicated to shaping the future of production. Can you provide an overview of the program and its objectives?
• What is the significance of implementing this program at this particular time in the United States?
• How do you plan to collaborate with organizations beyond the United States, such as those in the European Union?
• Reshoring has emerged as a prominent trend in North America and Europe. In your perspective and that of your colleagues at MIT, what are the driving forces behind reshoring, and which manufacturing sectors should be prioritized for reshoring efforts?
• How can our listeners engage with and contribute to the initiatives of Manufacturing@MIT?
• In closing our last podcast, you mentioned you had just left Seeq. What are you up to now that you've left Seeq? What exciting projects are you working on these days?