Chicago Tribune (June 3) -- The U. of I. doesn’t often work with the University of Iowa, just as Rolls-Royce doesn’t often volunteer to hold hands with General Electric. But that’s exactly the kind of scenario the Digital Lab for Manufacturing – a three-way partnership among academic institutions, manufacturing companies and the government – envisions, executives said Monday during a panel discussion.
Related story: Chicago Tribune (June 4) -- Construction will start this summer on remaking a former window plant in Chicago into a futuristic facility that backers consider key to pushing manufacturing forward in the region and the country. The aim of the digital lab, officials have said, is to team manufacturing experts, software companies and universities to spread cutting-edge technology through supply chains, to design and test new products, and to reduce costs in manufacturing processes across industries. A key perk will be access to Blue Waters, the supercomputer at the U. of I. that is one of the most powerful in the world, and the university’s highly sophisticated teams of researchers. Also: Crain's Chicago Business (June 3). Also: Chicago Business Journal (June 4).