AUTOMATE 2026 is the fastest-growing robotics and automation event in the U.S. Join the WI Drives Manufacturing cohort to explore partnership opportunities across the regional ecosystem and gain insights for strategic connection in Wisconsin.

Held in Chicago, June 22–25, 2026, the event includes a complimentary Educator Day on June 23 for college and K–12 educators. This follow-up effort encourages educators to participate and engage with industry peers.

Coordinator: Carol Voss, Associate Dean of Manufacturing, Construction, and Transportation Academic and Career Pathway, Milwaukee Area Technical College

Email Automate2026@widrivesmanufacturing.com to sign up.

Join one of the region’s premier manufacturing events, bringing together 1,200+ attendees and 200 exhibitors for a full day of networking, education, and industry connection. The event convenes manufacturers, business leaders, educators, and partners, while also supporting workforce development through student engagement opportunities.

Build on ideas from the Wisconsin Drives Manufacturing Summit by participating in this flagship event, hosted by Insight Publications in partnership with the NEW Manufacturing Alliance. Manufacturing First is designed to foster relationships, share insights, and showcase innovation.

Beyond the event, opportunities exist to strengthen Wisconsin’s manufacturing ecosystem, explore future partnerships, and collaborate with Insight Publications as planning begins for 2027. A follow-up gathering will be organized.

Coordinator: Angela O’Kray, Publisher, Insight on Business

This town hall will mobilize stakeholders to review and align on follow-up actions from the National Academy of Science, Medicine, and Technology’s report, “A vision for the Manufacturing USA Program in 2020 and 2025.” We will distill key findings and spotlight implications for Wisconsin, setting a foundation for action. Participants will then engage in a breakout session to define priorities and identify concrete steps to advance the state’s manufacturing ecosystem based on this outlook.

Coordinator: Joseph A. Hamann, Executive Director, Connected Systems Institute at UW-Milwaukee  

Email ManufacturingUSA@widrivesmanufacturing.com to sign up.

Join one of the region’s premier manufacturing events, bringing together 1,200+ attendees and 200 exhibitors for a full day of networking, education, and industry connection. The event convenes manufacturers, business leaders, educators, and partners, while also supporting workforce development through student engagement opportunities.

Build on ideas from the Wisconsin Drives Manufacturing Summit by participating in this flagship event, hosted by Insight Publications in partnership with the NEW Manufacturing Alliance. Manufacturing First is designed to foster relationships, share insights, and showcase innovation.

Beyond the event, opportunities exist to strengthen Wisconsin’s manufacturing ecosystem, explore future partnerships, and collaborate with Insight Publications as planning begins for 2027. A follow-up gathering will be organized.

Coordinator: Angela O’Kray, Publisher, Insight on Business

We’d love to stay connected following the Wisconsin Drives Manufacturing Summit and continue to grow our network—building new collaborations, strengthening existing relationships, and creating opportunities to drive regional impact.

We invite you to engage with the Greater Green Bay Chamber during Manufacturing Month this October.

Coordinator: Lisa Jossart, Vice President of Economic Development, Greater Green Bay Chamber  

Email GBChamberManufacturingMonth@widrivesmanufacturing.com to sign up.

Be part of a coordinated Wisconsin effort to pursue a National Science Foundation Industry–University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC) in space manufacturing. This initiative will connect researchers, industry leaders, and workforce developers to shape pre-competitive research and build the partnerships needed for a strong grant proposal. We will host engagement opportunities to grow this network and strengthen our statewide competitiveness.  

Coordinator: Hantang Qin, Professor, UW–Madison College of Engineering  

Email SpaceIUCRC@widrivesmanufacturing.com to sign up.

The Wisconsin Technology Council (WTC) convenes leaders from across the state’s technology, innovation, and investment communities. For manufacturers, these events offer a direct line of sight into emerging technologies that will shape future production, supply chains, and competitiveness.

By participating, manufacturers can learn which technologies are gaining traction, provide input on real‑world manufacturing needs, and help guide statewide technology priorities. Bring insights from the Wisconsin Drives Manufacturing (WDM) Summit to inform discussions at WTC events and strengthen the feedback loop between innovators and industry.

A follow‑up session will reconnect the WDM network to translate what was learned into manufacturing‑focused planning and to explore opportunities in areas such as Quantum Manufacturing and other next‑generation technologies.

Coordinator: Maggie Brickerman, President, Wisconsin Technology Council

Email WTCManufacturing@widrivesmanufacturing.com to stay connected.

Help position Wisconsin and the Great Lakes region as a leader in fusion energy. Join a collaborative network of industry, academia, and partners to explore supply chain opportunities and advance this emerging sector. Engage through quarterly events and the annual Fusion Energy Summit & Mixer in 2027, with continued connection through the WI Drives Manufacturing network.

Coordinator: Kathleen Gallagher, Executive Director, 5 Lakes Institute, Milwaukee  

Email FusionManufacturing@widrivesmanufacturing.com to sign up.

Join efforts to grow the Americas Cutting Edge (ACE) and METAL for America bootcamp network in Wisconsin. These hands-on programs introduce participants to CNC machining, casting, and forging while building the future manufacturing workforce.

UW–Madison offers bootcamps in these areas and is working to expand the network of training sites across Wisconsin. This creates a strong opportunity for the Wisconsin Drives Manufacturing (WDM) community to support workforce development and establilsh local training programs. Information sessions and feedback opportunities will be offered to help grow participation and strengthen this federally funded initiative.  

Coordinator: Frank Pfefferkorn, Professor, UW-Madison College of Engineering  

Email WorkforceBootcamps@widrivesmanufacturing.com to sign up.

Explore apprenticeship opportunities through the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, including youth apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeships, and registered apprenticeships at your organization. You can also develop new pilot programs in emerging or specialized fields. Start by connecting with your local technical college apprenticeship office or learn more here.

Coordinator: David Polk, Bureau Director of Apprenticeship, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development  

Email Apprenticeships@widrivesmanufacturing.com to stay informed.

Advance your team’s skills in engineering, operations, leadership, and digital transformation through UW–Madison’s Interdisciplinary Professional Programs (InterPro). Access flexible, industry-aligned learning solutions, including short courses, peer learning, graduate programs, and customized training tailored to the needs of Wisconsin manufacturers.  

Coordinator: Chelsy Cegielski, InterPro Engagement Manager, UW-Madison  

Email InterPro@widrivesmanufacturing.com to stay informed.

This session will focus on practical, real-world uses of AI in supply chain operations and where organizations are seeing measurable value today. We will hear a case study from UW EBusiness Consortium (UWEBC) member Mercury Marine, an industry expert presentation from RELEX Solutions, and together share successes and challenges in breakout groups, a hallmark of UWEBC events. Attend in person at UW-Madison (includes lunch) or join virtually (session includes virtual breakout groups and concludes by noon).  

Coordinator: Jenny Patzlaff, Supply Chain Practice Director, UWEBC, UW-Madison  

Email UWEBCSupplyChain@widrivesmanufacturing.com for follow-ups.

Continue the momentum from the Wisconsin Drives Manufacturing Summit by connecting with supply chain leaders at the UW EBusiness Consortium (UWEBC) Annual Conference. The dedicated Supply Chain track explores strategies and innovations for building more resilient, efficient, and responsive operations.

This is an opportunity to apply insights from Wisconsin Drives Manufacturing, engage with experts, and expand your network. A follow-up session will be organized to share takeaways and identify collective priorities for advancing Wisconsin’s supply chain.

Coordinator: Jenny Patzlaff, Supply Chain Practice Director, UWEBC, UW-Madison  

Email UWEBCSupplyChain@widrivesmanufacturing.com for follow-ups.

Join industry leaders at this Green Bay Innovation Group (GBIG) seminar exploring the future of food packaging across performance, sustainability, PFAS, and regulatory compliance. Discussions will cover key topics such as flexible and lightweight packaging, barrier technologies, smart packaging, recyclable and compostable materials, and evolving consumer expectations.

Plan to attend in November 2026 and bring insights back to the Wisconsin Drives Manufacturing community to inform broader ecosystem conversations.

Coordinator: Marty Ochs, Founder and Director, Green Bay Innovation Group  

Email GBIG@widrivesmanufacturing.com to sign up.

Join a virtual town hall to explore emerging directions in next‑generation biomanufacturing. The session builds on a recent national visioning effort (the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Visioning Alliance, or NSF ERVA) that examined how AI‑enabled tools, automated systems, and new cell‑based and cell‑free production methods will shape the future of manufacturing.

You’ll hear about frontier areas such as AI‑driven process discovery, advanced biological system design, and flexible, distributed production models. Bring insights from the Wisconsin Drives Manufacturing Summit to help identify shared industry needs, highlight current barriers, and gauge interest in a follow‑on workshop focused on coordinated investment and partnership opportunities. 

Coordinator: Sean Palecek and Kris Saha, Professors, University of Wisconsin–Madison 

Email BiohealthManufacturing@widrivesmanufacturing.com to sign up to stay informed.

The Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub is advancing a portfolio of technical projects and strategies to strengthen biohealth innovation and manufacturing across the state. As a federally funded initiative, it connects Wisconsin’s manufacturing capabilities with its nationally recognized biohealth ecosystem.

Attend the 2026 BioForward Annual Summit to experience dedicated programming from the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub. Bring insights and ideas from the Wisconsin Drives Manufacturing Summit, gather new inspiration and opportunities from the Tech Hub sessions, and return ready to engage in a follow‑up discussion with fellow manufacturers.

Coordinator: Wendy Harris, Regional Innovation Officer, Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub

Email BiohealthTechHub@widrivesmanufacturing.com to join the email list.

Entrepreneurship in Wisconsin’s biohealth sector has a long and successful history. Today’s emerging companies depend on a responsive manufacturing ecosystem capable of producing advanced tools, technologies, and biohealth products. Rapid growth in AI, robotics, and in vitro human models is accelerating innovation and opening new commercial opportunities.

Join this one‑day event to explore the next wave of high‑potential ventures in Wisconsin’s biohealth landscape—and discover how manufacturing businesses can partner, contribute, and benefit. Hosted by the new Badger Tech Foundry, part of the UW–Madison Wisconsin Entrepreneurship Hub, this program is designed to spark collaboration and unlock new business pathways. 

Coordinator: William Murphy, Director, Badger Tech Foundry, UW–Madison

Email BiohealthEntrepreneurship@widrivesmanufacturing.com to sign up to stay informed.

Join Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment Mike Duffey—a Wisconsin native and UW–Madison alum—for a strategic discussion on the future of U.S. defense capability delivery. The conversation will cover priority areas such as accelerating acquisition, strengthening and reshoring the defense industrial base, scaling sustainment analytics and industrial AI, advancing operational energy and nuclear modernization, and growing the technical and acquisition workforce.

This roundtable will highlight how national defense priorities align with Wisconsin’s research strengths, manufacturing capabilities, and talent pipeline—and how the state’s industrial base can play a larger role in delivering capabilities to the joint force.

Coordinator: Dave Schroeder, Director of National Security Initiatives, UW–Madison  

Email DefenseManufacturing@widrivesmanufacturing.com to sign up.

A major shift in defense manufacturing is already underway. Autonomous systems are rapidly becoming core to future military fleets, requiring a complete rethink of platform design, production strategies, and supply‑chain alignment. This transition represents a defining opportunity for the Midwest. With underused Great Lakes shipyards, growing multimodal testbeds, and a strong industrial base, the region is uniquely positioned to lead. The Midwest is becoming The Autonomous Heartland.

Join the Midwest Defense Accelerator (MDX)—part of Sagamore’s Midwest Defense portfolio—for a half‑day working session ahead of the UW–Notre Dame game. This interactive program will bring together manufacturers, defense leaders, innovators, and workforce partners to explore how the region can move into autonomous and maritime production and build the ecosystem required to scale.

This inaugural event is tentatively planned for September 5–6, 2026, in Green Bay, WI, leading into the UW–Notre Dame football game at Lambeau Field on Sunday evening at 6:30pm. 

Coordinator: Dave Schroeder, Director of National Security Initiatives, UW–Madison 

Email DefenseManufacturing@widrivesmanufacturing.com to sign up.