Dr. Richard Billo, director of the Kummer Institute Center for Advanced Manufacturing at S&T, discussed Missouri S&T’s Manufacture Missouri Ecosystem at a Feb. 25 gathering of St. Charles-area manufacturers. The event was organized by the Partnership to Enhance Innovation, Resilience and Agility in Missouri’s Manufacturers. Based at University of Missouri Extension, the partnership offers Missouri manufacturers streamlined access to the expertise and resources of the four UM System universities through education, roundtable discussions and company-specific projects. 

The Manufacture Missouri Ecosystem will be a network of manufacturers of all sizes across the state to address workforce needs and help companies stay competitive. Through this network, S&T and its partner universities and industries will deliver research knowledge to any partner manufacturer, anywhere in Missouri. 

Billo joined S&T in January as the founding director of the Kummer Institute Center for Advanced Manufacturing and professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering. The center was created to spur regional and national development by enabling next-generation manufacturing, in alignment with the vision of the Kummer Institute for Student Success, Research and Economic Development at Missouri S&T.