REMADE CTO To Discuss “Reimagining Energy Use With Digital Technologies” At SXSW®
A public-private partnership dedicated to accelerating the nation’s transition to a Circular Economy, The REMADE Institute has announced its Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Magdi Azer will be participating in a Manufacturing USA panel discussion at the upcoming South by Southwest (SXSW) conference scheduled for March 8-16, in Austin Texas.
The annual SXSW conference offers attendees a view of the future, celebrating innovation and technology and providing a forum for creative thinkers to discuss what’s next and learn about the resources that can help them build the future.
As CTO of REMADE, Dr. Azer oversees all technology development activities, including the annual technology roadmap update, developing Requests for Proposals, and leading regular reviews for nearly 100 research and development projects, representing nearly US$100 million in investment. Since 2015, Dr. Azer has served as the Associate Director for Manufacturing Science at the Illinois Applied Research Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Dr. Azer will speak on Saturday, March 9, at 4:00 PM in the Austin Convention Center, Room 6AB during the session titled: “Reimagining Energy Use with Digital Technologies.” The panel will discuss why now is the time to rethink industrial processes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve climate goals, and how intelligent digital technologies enable changes in manufacturing processes and products to radically reduce energy use and eliminate waste. The panel will also highlight how Manufacturing USA builds collaborative innovation ecosystems to advance these critical technologies.
“Increasing the adoption of renewable energy is critically important in our efforts to achieve net-zero by 2050, but it will only get us 55 per cent of the way there,” Azer said. “To tackle the remaining 45 per cent, we must transition to a circular economy where products, materials, and resources are reused, repaired, remanufactured, and recycled, extending their lifespan and reducing their environmental impact.”
Additional panelists for this discussion are technologists and leaders from other institutes in the Manufacturing USA network. They include Executive Vice President & Chief Commercialization Officer at The Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation, Dale Brosius, Solutions Architect at CESMII – The Smart Manufacturing Institute, Olivia Morales and Director of Fab Operations at NextFlex Art Wall.
Representing 30 per cent of US greenhouse gas emissions, engaging the industrial sector is critical to achieving the nation’s climate goals. Today, digital technologies are helping reimagine manufacturing processes and products to reduce energy use, decrease emissions, and eliminate waste, creating “circular economy” product flows; increasing energy efficiency through smart manufacturing; and employing digital capabilities in new ways to enhance sustainability. Companies, government, and researchers are collaborating to develop and deploy these technologies through the Manufacturing USA national initiative.
Founded in 2017, REMADE is a public-private partnership established and funded in part by the US Department of Energy’s Office of Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies (AMMTO). REMADE enables early-stage applied research and development that will create jobs, dramatically reduce embodied energy and greenhouse gas emissions, and increase the supply and use of recycled materials.
REMADE is one of the 17 institutes of the Manufacturing USA network, created in 2014 to secure US global leadership in advanced manufacturing by connecting people, ideas, and technology. Manufacturing USA institutes convene business competitors, academic institutions, and other stakeholders to test applications of new technology, create new products, reduce cost and risk, and enable the manufacturing workforce with the skills of the future.
