ORNL Hosts First Innovation Days at Manufacturing Demo Facility

Momentum for manufacturing innovation in the United States got a boost during the inaugural MDF Innovation Days, held recently at the US Department of Energy Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, or MDF, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The biennial event brought together more than 120 representatives from industry, ORNL, US Department of Energy offices and academia. Discussions centered on ways these entities can come together to revitalize US manufacturing through collaborative cutting-edge research that also aligns with national clean energy goals.

“Innovation Days was an outward presentation of what’s been going on here in East Tennessee over the last decade and more,” said Craig Blue, ORNL chief manufacturing officer. “To be competitive as a nation, we need to innovate fast on clean energy solutions and strengthen manufacturing supply chains. The public-private model we’ve developed here at MDF, combined with the deep scientific expertise at ORNL, is doing just that.”

Event attendees took tours of the MDF and related facilities, as well as presentations, breakout discussions and lightning talks by industry.

“This has been a great opportunity to share the MDF ecosystem with innovators across the manufacturing space,” said MDF director Ryan Dehoff. “Collaborations are the heart of MDF, so getting the chance to connect with so many potential new collaborators is exciting.”

“It was helpful to hear the perspectives of the various DOE program offices, their priorities and how they operate both independently and together,” said Ben Murray, project manager for the DOE Wind Energy Technologies Office. “It was also great to hear industry priorities and concerns they may have encountered when trying to engage with DOE and government.”