The future of manufacturing is being built right now across southwestern Pennsylvania and beyond.
The Smart Factory Podcast brings you inside the conversations shaping where industry is headed next. From AI and automation to workforce strategy, energy infrastructure, operational excellence, and advanced manufacturing technologies.
Hosted by Petra Mitchell, President & CEO of Catalyst Connection, each episode features leaders and innovators sharing what they are seeing inside real manufacturing environments and where opportunity is emerging.
Recorded at Mill 19 in Pittsburgh.
Listen now:
/podcasts/
Join us for a 3-day professional learning experience is built for educators and training professionals who want a clear understanding of how modern manufacturing actually works and how to bring that into their classrooms. Participants will explore emerging technologies, see real applications, and leave with a plan they can use.
Designed for:
• Educators and instructors across all subject areas
• K–12, postsecondary, and technical college faculty
• Workforce development and training professionals
• Administrators, counselors, and program leaders
📅 July 29, August 5, August 12
No cost to attend. All attendees receive $150 stipend & Act 48 hours.
Learn More & Register Now. /programs/industry4-0academy/
Yesterday, Hannah and Mara had the opportunity to bring hands-on manufacturing STEM activities to students at Center of Life’s after-school programming as part of Remake Learning Days!
Fifteen students rotated through interactive stations featuring Ozobot coding, micro TIG welding, and blueprint assembly. It was great to see their curiosity and excitement while exploring new skills and technologies.
Thank you to Center of Life for having us!
Two schools. Two real-world manufacturing challenges.
Fort Cherry and Penn-Trafford students recently wrapped up their Manufacturing Innovation Challenge projects, presenting creative solutions to ChemDAQ and FS-Elliott. From sensor storage systems to machine silencers, students worked through real problems, built practical designs, and shared their ideas with industry professionals.
Projects like these give students a chance to build confidence, strengthen communication skills, and see how their ideas can make an impact.
Read more in our ExploreNewMfg blogs: /blog/
Manufacturing technology continues to move forward. The workforce needs to move with it.
SkillMill19 @ Manufacturing Innovation Center is offering upcoming hands-on training designed to help manufacturers across southwestern Pennsylvania strengthen technical capabilities and build practical skills that apply directly inside modern operations.
These sessions are designed for manufacturers looking to strengthen workforce capability in areas tied to quality, precision measurement, production, and advanced manufacturing technologies.
View all upcoming SkillMill19 training opportunities: /skillmill19-learning-lab
CATALYZE 2026 brought together manufacturing leaders from across southwestern Pennsylvania for a full day of practical conversations around workforce, operations, technology, and business growth.
From the Manufacturing Showcase presentations to the Catalyst Conversations and CATALYZE Awards, the day reflected the strength of the region’s manufacturing community and the willingness to share ideas, challenges, and strategies that are working right now inside real operations.
Thank you to everyone who attended, presented, supported, and helped make the day possible at Mill 19.
The conversations started today will continue shaping the future of manufacturing across southwestern Pennsylvania.
One week away.
We have been hearing from more manufacturers trying to determine whether they may be eligible for tariff refunds, but many companies are still unsure where to start or what documentation is required.
That is exactly what this workshop is designed to address.
Join us at Mill 19 as we walk through how to identify potential exposure, what records to gather, and practical next steps manufacturers can take.
📍 Catalyst Connection at Mill 19, Pittsburgh
📅 May 20, 2026
⏰ 10:00 AM – Noon
If your company imports materials, components, or products, this session could help uncover opportunities that may otherwise be missed.
Register here: /event/get-your-tariff-refund-identify-exposure-gather-documents-take-action/
As manufacturers across southwestern Pennsylvania compete for new opportunities tied to energy infrastructure and AI data centers, supply chain visibility is becoming a larger strategic issue.
In the newest episode of the Smart Factory Podcast, Daniela Osio joins Petra Mitchell to discuss procurement strategy, cost intelligence, and how manufacturers can better understand the factors driving cost, pricing, and supply chain risk.
Drawing from her experience leading global risk management initiatives at DuPont, Daniela shares insight into:
• Supply chain transparency
• Procurement decision-making
• Cost visibility and competitiveness
• Managing uncertainty in rapidly shifting markets
Listen to the episode: /podcasts/cost-vs-price-bringing-visibility-to-manufacturing-supply-chains/
Last week, we welcomed participants from ’s Green Career Exploration program to Mill 19 for a conversation about the growing opportunities at the intersection of advanced manufacturing and sustainability.
The group explored the wide range of careers available across southwestern Pennsylvania manufacturing, the innovative products being made throughout the region, and the pathways available to help people build new skills and enter the industry.
We also highlighted no-cost training opportunities available through the SkillMill19 Learning Lab and community partners like the National Center for Urban Solutions.
Thank you to Program Manager Tiffany Taulton for helping bring the group together and creating space for meaningful conversations around the future of manufacturing and sustainability in our region.
Manufacturers across southwestern Pennsylvania continue to face the same challenge: finding and developing people with the technical and leadership skills needed to keep operations moving forward.
That is why SkillMill19 @ Manufacturing Innovation Center continues to offer hands-on training built around real manufacturing environments and practical application.
Whether your company is strengthening front-line leadership, building technical capability, or supporting workforce development, these sessions are designed to help manufacturers build skills that directly connect to operational performance.
View the full training calendar and learn more:
/skillmill19-learning-lab
AI is getting attention across manufacturing.
But most teams are still figuring out where it actually fits.
This session focuses on that gap.
Join us for AI for Manufacturers: Foundations & Practical Applications to understand how AI connects to real operations, from data and workflows to decision-making on the shop floor.
📍 Held at Mill 19 in Pittsburgh, PA June 16 | 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
You will walk through:
• Where AI makes sense in manufacturing environments
• How to connect AI to existing processes and data
• Practical use cases like quality, maintenance, and process improvement
Register here: /event/ai-for-manufacturers-foundations-practical-applications/
How does AI actually get applied inside industrial operations?
In this episode of the Smart Factory Podcast, Adam Bird of Emerson shares how AI and automation are reshaping industrial operations and energy systems, and what it takes to lead change inside organizations adopting new technologies.
You will also hear how tools like Ovation AI are being applied inside real control environments to drive measurable impact.
Listen to Episode 4: /podcasts/episode-4-ai-energy-and-change-management-building-the-next-generation-of-smart-operations/
