U.S. Undersecretary of Commerce Patrick Gallagher To Kick Off Inaugural Rensselaer CATS/CEG Advanced Manufacturing Conference

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Center for Economic Growth Partner To Drive Manufacturing Innovation in New York State

March 11, 2013

Patrick D. Gallagher, U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, will provide the keynote address for the inaugural Advanced Manufacturing Conference.

The conference, a partnership between the Center for Automation Technologies and Systems (CATS) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the Center for Economic Growth (CEG), will be held April 16-17 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Troy, N.Y.

The first annual Advanced Manufacturing Conference, themed “Think Smart, Make Value,” will bring together leaders from industry, government, and academia to address challenges facing regional manufacturers. It will provide small, medium, and large manufacturers a strategic look at emerging ways to leverage the power of automation technologies and business best practices, and to take advantage of available state and regional resources to better compete and succeed in the global marketplace.

“The core expertise of the CATS is in innovative automation systems. A key part of our mission is to leverage this expertise to boost the regional and national economy by reinvigorating manufacturing across New York and the United States,” said CATS Director John Wen, a faculty member in the Department of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering at Rensselaer. “Our new Advanced Manufacturing Conference, in partnership with CEG, will showcase successful collaborative projects, discuss current trends and opportunities, and present ways that CATS, CEG, and New York state can help manufacturers elevate their business to the next level.”

“As Tech Valley’s New York State Regional Technology Development Center (RTDC) and NIST MEP (Manufacturing Extension Partnership) center, the Center for Economic Growth is pleased to continue to leverage our very strong relationship with the Center for Automation Technologies and Systems at Rensselaer through co-sponsorship of our ‘Think Smart, Make Value’ Advanced Manufacturing Conference in April,” said Jeffrey Lawrence, executive vice president of technology at CEG. “Advanced manufacturing that leverages the superb workforce, leading-edge research, and innovative programs available across the region is essential to high-quality job creation, investment, and sustainable growth in Tech Valley for future generations.”

The CATS/CEG Advanced Manufacturing Conference builds upon the past success of the CATS annual showcases. The new conference will feature workshops and discussions on leading-edge and emerging manufacturing topics including: smart manufacturing, additive manufacturing, advanced composites, biomimicry, and others. The conference will also feature business-focused sessions and training on key manufacturing business topics including: Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Supply Chain Development, SME Funding Opportunities, and Innovation Engineering.

Also planned for the conference are a CEO roundtable, numerous networking opportunities, a Solutions Fair led by New York State’s Empire State Development’s Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR), a panel discussion titled “Industry Needs for Manufacturing Education,” guided tours of Rensselaer laboratories and facilities, and a poster session featuring a broad array of projects and areas of research and offering an opportunity for one-on-one interaction with student and faculty researchers.

Full Showcase agenda and event registration details are available at: http://www.cats.rpi.edu

Patrick D. Gallagher
Dr. Patrick Gallagher was confirmed as the 14th Director of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on Nov. 5, 2009. He also serves as Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology, a new position created in the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010, signed by President Obama on Jan. 4, 2011.

Gallagher provides high-level oversight and direction for NIST. The agency promotes U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology. NIST’s FY 2012 resources total $750.8 million from the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-55), with an estimated additional annual income of $62.7 million in service fees, and $128.9 million from other agencies. The agency employs about 2,900 scientists, engineers, technicians, support staff, and administrative personnel at two main locations in Gaithersburg, Md., and Boulder, Colo.

Gallagher had served as Deputy Director since 2008. Prior to that, he served for four years as Director of the NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR), a national user facility for neutron scattering on the NIST Gaithersburg, Md., campus. The NCNR provides a broad range of neutron diffraction and spectroscopy capability with thermal and cold neutron beams and is presently the nation's most used facility of this type. Gallagher received his Ph.D. in physics at the University of Pittsburgh in 1991. His research interests include neutron and X-ray instrumentation and studies of soft condensed matter systems such as liquids, polymers, and gels. In 2000, Gallagher was a NIST agency representative at the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC). He has been active in the area of U.S. policy for scientific user facilities and was chair of the Interagency Working Group on neutron and light source facilities under the Office of Science and Technology Policy. Currently, he serves as co-chair of the Standards Subcommittee under the White House National Science and Technology Council.

About Rensselaer CATS
The Rensselaer Center for Automation Technologies and Systems (CATS) is supported by New York State through Empire State Development’s Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR). The CATS is one of 15 NYSTAR-designated Centers for Advanced Technology with a mandate to advance economic development in New York state through the transfer of high-technology academic research from the state’s leading research universities to its companies.

Rensselaer CATS focuses its research activities on all aspects of automation and control in manufacturing and operations. The center partners with companies, both large and small, to develop systems-level solutions for high-impact, industrially driven projects following a proven university-industry collaboration model that delivers technology-based solutions to real-world challenges with tangible impact. Over the past six years, Rensselaer CATS has helped its New York state partner companies realize nearly $305 million in non-job economic impact, and helped create or retain over 787 jobs.

About the Center for Economic Growth
The Center for Economic Growth (CEG) is one of 10 Regional Technology Development Centers (RTDCs) in New York state. It fosters economic growth throughout the 11-county Capital Region, as well as a significant portion of the Tech Valley corridor. As an independent, not-for-profit organization CEG works with a diverse group of members and partners to advance the ability of the region and its assets to succeed in the global marketplace. In addition to NYSTAR funding, CEG is supported by its dedicated members, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) / Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), and National Grid.

For more information on the CATS at Rensselaer, visit:

Press Contact Michael Mullaney
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