Manufacturing Your Future Through Technology, Sustainability, and Workforce is an event integrating advanced technologies, adopting sustainable practices, and enhancing workforce strategies.

This day is specifically designed for Massachusetts manufacturers to explore these critical pillars. As an attendee the day will be filled with Keynote speaker, Casey Brown from Boost pricing, Jack Healy Award ceremony and six (6) breakout sessions. Best practices show the more colleagues that attend, the more tribal knowledge gained with a full return on the investment of time.

Join MassMEP on Thursday, June 5, 2025 at the Polar Park – DCU Club Level – in Worcester for Manufacturing Your Future Smart Manufacturing.

Discover the exciting world of the Internet of Things (IoT) with this hands-on workshop designed specifically for educators. Through engaging projects, you’ll explore electrical concepts, components, and theories using Arduino microcontrollers, electronic components, sensors, actuators, and computer programming. Gain a solid foundation in IoT technologies and learn how to effectively teach these concepts to high school and college students. This workshop also prepares participants for the Arduino Certification Exam, making it an excellent opportunity to expand your expertise and credentials. No prior experience in electronics or programming is needed, so educators of all backgrounds are welcome to join.

Workshop Highlights

• Hands-on projects exploring IoT using Arduino microcontrollers.
• Learn about electrical concepts, components, sensors, and actuators.
• Develop skills in computer programming to support IoT applications.
• Gain teaching strategies for integrating IoT concepts into high school and college curricula. 
• Preparation for the Arduino Certification Exam. 
• Open to educators with or without prior electronics or programming experience.

Nanopore sequencing, which analyzes individual DNA molecules in real time, is the “next big thing” in biology education. It promises to put real-time DNA sequencing within reach of any motivated bioscience teacher. Envision a MinION miniature nanopore sequencing device in every biology teaching lab within a decade.

The DNA Learning Center (DNALC) and Oxford Nanopore are working together to adapt nanopore sequencing for use in education—including improved chemistry, workflows, directions, and packaging/pricing attractive to high school and college faculty. The DNALC’s popular DNA Subway is currently being redeveloped for full mobile use, including a new line for nanopore sequence analysis. Workshop participants will be the first to test this streamlined approach for combining MinION sequence data with the DNA Subway pipeline—providing DNA sequencing and analysis any time, any place, by anyone.

The workshop will appeal especially to high school and college faculty who mentor student research or participate in large, distributed projects, such as DNA barcoding (DNALC), SEA-PHAGES (Howard Hughes Medical Institute), and Tiny Earth (University of Wisconsin). At less than $10 per barcode or metabarcode sample and $30 per phage or organelle genome, nanopore sequencing is a speedy and cost-effective alternative to commercial sequencing. Nanopore takes DNA sequencing out of the “black box,” exposing students to every step of the workflow. Workshop participants will have the unique opportunity to immediately sequence and analyze DNA from samples they bring to the workshop. Barcode, metabarcode, and small genome sequencing will be covered.

All workshop participants will receive a $300 stipend. Although the program expects that most participants will commute to the workshop, funding for travel, room, and board is available for a limited number of qualified applicants living outside commuting distance. 

Applications will be reviewed and acceptances emailed continuously, beginning April 18, 2025.

For over 25 years, the TechConnect World Innovation Conference and Expo has connected top applied research and early stage innovations from universities, labs, and startups with industry end users and scouts. The 2025 TechConnect World Innovation event includes the annual SBIR/STTR Innovation Conference; more than 35 world-class technical symposium; and the Nanotech Conference, the world's largest and longest running nanotechnology event.

Since its inception, TechConnect has published over 10,000 technical papers, connected over 20,000 innovations with industry partners, provided scouting support for most Fortune 500 technology companies, and supported most U.S. science and technology agencies, including the National Nanotechnology Initiative, since its inception.

Register today for WFIRM's three-day in-person course taught by prominent experts, provides a comprehensive foundation in this exciting field through lectures, special presentations, interactive panels, and networking. Organized as an educational and scientific meeting, the purpose is to promote the participation and education of all stakeholders, providing global attendees a firm foundation coupled with the "roadmap forward" for this exciting field. 

The 2025 RME course will be held live at the Wake Forest Biotech Place in Innovation Quarter, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. RME 2025 will be offered in a hybrid format with virtual attendance available during the event with capabilities to engage with speakers during panels. Following the live event, virtually registered attendees can continue to access meeting content from July 15, 2025 to October 15, 2025.

Topics include:

• stem cells
• biomaterials
• 3D printing and enabling technologies
• cell therapies
• Tissue Engineering (TE) products
• patient perspectives
• regulatory development
• scale up and manufacturing
• clinical trials
• commercialization
• bioethics
• workforce development and diverse career perspectives
• plus special topics: Regenerative Rehabilitation, Advancement of Sensor Integrated Organ-on-a-Chip Devices, Stem Cells and the International Space Station, Policy and Patient Advocacy, A World Compass for Manufacturing and Marketing Cell and Gene Therapies.

The next EARTh Center Institute will be hosted at the Central Michigan University Biological Station on the island, and will focus on climate change in the region and beyond, cultural impacts and perspectives from indigenous leaders, hands-on activities, assisting with undergraduate research opportunities happening on the island and more!

Institute participants will receive:

• Travel reimbursement (receipts must be provided for full reimbursement)
• Participation stipend ($575)
• Materials Award (more info to follow after selection process)

Applications will close Jan 31, 2025. Participants will be contacted regarding selection by Feb 28, 2025. Please note that Beaver Island is a remote island on Lake Michigan and does have all the basic amenities on the island, but participants should be prepared for travel to/from the island via ferry or small plane.

Join EnergySec this June for their next NERC CIP Bootcamp, hosted on-site at Ameren Missouri. This intensive 5-day training provides hands-on instruction and expert insights into NERC CIP standards, compliance strategies, and audit readiness. Whether you're new to CIP or need a practical refresher, this course delivers the tools and context you need to succeed. This course is valuable as stand-alone bootcamp or can be applied toward the C3P Credential, which certifies proficiency in managing compliance with the NERC CIP standards. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain practical, hands-on experience in a setting designed to maximize learning and engagement! EnergySec is looking forward to seeing you there.

Take the first step toward a successful cybersecurity career with CompTIA Security+ certification training. This workshop is designed to equip IT professionals with the essential skills and knowledge needed to perform core security functions and excel in cybersecurity roles. CompTIA Security+ is a globally recognized, vendor-neutral certification that validates foundational security expertise and serves as a gateway to intermediate-level IT security jobs. Through hands-on troubleshooting and real-world applications, this workshop prepares participants to assess enterprise security, implement effective solutions, and respond to security incidents across hybrid environments, including cloud, mobile, and IoT. Join to gain practical skills and a solid foundation in governance, risk, and compliance. 

 Workshop Highlights

• Comprehensive training to earn the globally recognized CompTIA Security+ certification. 
• Hands-on troubleshooting exercises to build practical cybersecurity problem-solving skills. 
• Learn to assess and secure enterprise environments with best practices. 
• Understand and apply principles of governance, risk management, and compliance. 
• Develop the skills to identify, analyze, and respond to security events and incidents.