By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
BGSU signed a memorandum of understanding with two private firms Tuesday that will both provide training opportunities for students in the School of Engineering as well as support for area manufacturing firms wanting to bring implement advanced technology.
The School for Engineering will work with Kata Solution from Powell and IoTco of Cincinnati to help companies move into advanced manufacturing both by streamlining processes and implementing new technologies including artificial intelligence and robotics.
These technologies line up with offerings in the School of Engineering including newly approved majors in electronic and computer engineering, mechanical and manufacturing engineering and robotics engineering as well as the proposed multidisciplinary artificial intelligence program that will allow students to pair studies in AI with another discipline of their choice.
Wael Mokhtar, the dean of the College of Engineering and Innovation, credited Tim Mayle of the Center for Advanced with helping to bring the parties together.
Mokhtar said students working with the two partners will visit the area manufacturers to see what the needs are. Then they will develop plans to address their issues, return to the companies, and help implement the recommendations.
“Academia could only go so far into helping manufacturers in the area,” said Bryan Little, founder and president of Kata Solution.
This partnership will leverage both the strengths and the needs of BGSU with the services provided by Kata and IoTco.
“We created a partnership that basically has three different sections … the technology part of it, and then the operational excellence part of it, which is more about the process for implementation, the people part of it, the changed management part of it,” he said. The partnership will help area manufacturers “optimize their processes, increase their efficiencies, reduce their scrap, improve their quality outcome.” All that should improve their profitability.
Kata Solution deals with improving the processes while IoTco will provide the technology the company needs.
“Brian and his team bring the people and process component,” said Mo Abuali, CEO of IoTco. “We bring the technology component.”
His team with students will come in visit the shops. “We do rapid assessments. We understand the current state. We understand gaps. We create a road map, and we help you build a business case.”
This includes both technology and education.
Employees may need to earn credentials in specific skills and processes from BGSU.
Each company will have a different array of needs.
Abuali said IoTco is partnering with Kata because just bringing in technology is not enough. “There are significant challenges around people using it.”
Students are the cornerstone of the entire process, Abuali said.
Little said graduates who have worked in the program will be prepared to bring this experience to future enterprises.
Mokhtar said 400-500 students could be involved in projects related to the collaboration.
President Rodney Roger said that this kind of engagement helps students not only go on to successful careers, but to successful lives.
