Media Contact: Barbara Fornasiero, EAFocus Communications; barbara@eafocus.com; 248.260.8466
Troy, Mich., June 22, 2022 – Cynthia Hutchison, formerly a Vice President with Automation Alley, Michigan’s Industry 4.0 Knowledge Center, has been named Head of the US Centre for Advanced Manufacturing. The Centre, which has a national focus, was announced this month in a partnership between Automation Alley and the World Economic Forum, with support from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.
The US Centre for Advanced Manufacturing joins the World Economic Forum’s global community of 14 Centres for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) and is the first Centre in the world focused on advanced manufacturing, as well as the only Centre in North America. The US Centre will play an active role in shaping the global agenda on the future of production, while contributing towards strengthening the competitiveness of the manufacturing sector in the United States. Collectively, the network of Centres help shape new strategies and policies in technology governance and work closely with the Forum’s Platform for Shaping the Future of Advanced Manufacturing and Value Chains, which drives the global agenda on the transformation of industrial ecosystems for improved productivity, sustainability, and growth.
Hutchison, who recently returned from Geneva, Switzerland upon completion of a 12-month World Economic Fellowship managing the development of the Global Network of Advanced Manufacturing Hubs (AMHUB), has been a steadfast champion of Automation Alley’s Industry 4.0 efforts, which have been instrumental in shifting the organization from a business and technology networking association to a globally recognized Industry 4.0 knowledge center. Now, with the launch of the US Centre, she will be responsible for engaging the national manufacturing ecosystem to accelerate the transition towards advanced manufacturing through a series of local, national, and international projects and activities.
Hutchison has developed and maintained strong relationships with corporate leaders, elected officials, and strategic partners in the U.S. and abroad. Her professional career began in sales in the telecommunications field but switched gears when she founded the international outreach organization Band of Angels to advocate for individuals with Down syndrome, including her son Jordan. Because of her work with Band of Angels, Hutchison was appointed by both Republican and Democratic Michigan Governors to serve on non-partisan commissions for inclusion, and was named a Michiganian of the Year by the Detroit News in 2007 and one of Woman’s Day Magazine’s “Women Who Inspire Us” in 2006. More recently, Hutchison was named a Crain’s Detroit Business Notable Women in STEM in 2019. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, and is a resident of Rochester Hills, Michigan.
Joining Hutchison to help manage the development and acceleration of the Centre is Alison Trumble, Director of Programming. Trumble will focus on the introduction and implementation of the Centre’s programs and new initiatives, engaging with innovative manufacturing companies across the United States and collaborating with the manufacturing community to find areas of improvement around the advanced manufacturing ecosystem.
Trumble joined the Centre from Automation Alley, where she was integral in orchestrating the organization’s sales strategy and business development efforts. Previously, she directed public relations and marketing strategies for Michigan State University’s Greenline, the university’s student-led alumni engagement operation. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Michigan State University in Media and Information.
About the US Centre for Advanced Manufacturing
The US Centre for Advanced Manufacturing convenes national and global manufacturing innovators from academia, technology, manufacturing and civil society to accelerate and strengthen transformation in the digital environment and create action-oriented ecosystems across industries and disciplines. The Centre is the first US entity to operate in partnership with the World Economic Forum to advance its global manufacturing initiatives and is one of 15 World Economic Forum Centres for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Learn why forward-looking manufacturers seek out the US Centre for Advanced Manufacturing for guidance in their transformation journey by visiting our website.
###
