From Networking to Roadshows: WDM’s Early Impact

The real impact of Wisconsin Drives Manufacturing isn’t measured by attendance numbers or keynote sessions. It’s measured by what happens after the connections are made.

In the weeks following the 2026 summit, for example, the HEART Initiative at UW-Madison has transformed conversations that began at Lambeau Field into a growing network of industry partnerships, company visits, and new opportunities to align research with Wisconsin manufacturers’ needs.

The Human-systems Engineering for Adaptive, Real-World, and Translational Applications (HEART) Initiative focuses on helping people work effectively alongside emerging technologies, bringing expertise in robotics, AI integration, and human readiness to industries like advanced manufacturing, transportation, and healthcare. Because manufacturing is increasingly being shaped by HEART’s research areas, WDM provided an opportunity to connect directly with organizations looking for practical solutions.

HEART is led by Professors Ranjana Mehta and Tony McDonald, who were visible throughout WDM’s programming. Mehta served as a key workforce readiness contributor for Track 1: The Human ROI – Upskilling for Industry 4.0, while McDonald and other initiative members connected with attendees through booth demonstrations, seminars and networking opportunities. Plus, one of HEART’s affiliate labs showcased a collaborative robot integrated with virtual reality, giving attendees a hands-on look at how emerging technologies can support real-world manufacturing tasks.

McDonald described his WDM experience as high-energy and exciting, because the summit was forward-looking and didn’t shy away from realistic conversations. “We heard about challenges that people were having with manufacturing and technology, and workforce readiness. But we also heard about successes that people were having in HEART’s areas of interest, particularly this AI-integrated space,” he said. “There were also several interesting surprises, about things that we might typically hear more in a research context, but industry is interested in implementing in the future—like AR and VR systems and collaborative robotics.”

What began as introductions on the summit floor has since evolved into something more substantial. HEART has launched a traveling industry roadshow, visiting Wisconsin companies that first connected with initiative leaders through WDM. Those conversations are helping HEART researchers better understand how companies are interested in collaborating with the College of Engineering and UW–Madison, and guiding academic researchers toward which industries might find value in their work.

As a result, HEART is now working on a Human Readiness Playbook that will help guide companies through the process of integrating new technology with their workforce, facilities, and processes. They will be offering a workshop on the playbook during the UW EBusiness Consortium (UWEBC) Annual Conference on October 6, 2026, and plan to make it freely available by the end of the year.

McDonald hopes they can continue to build on the momentum of WDM to bridge gaps between academia and industry in coming years: “Just since WDM, HEART has built a network that hasn’t happened for the last few years. There have been a lot of avenues opened up that wouldn’t have been possible without the summit. I’m really excited about the direction we’re going.”

As WDM continues to bring together manufacturers, researchers, educators, and workforce leaders, HEART’s experience offers an early example of what success can look like: new contacts, collaborations, insights, and pathways for innovation across Wisconsin.