Michael Gallaher, Ph.D.

Case Study Lead, Research Triangle Institute (RTI)

Michael Gallaher, PhD, has more than 10 years of experience leading projects for NIST, EPA, NSF, and NTIA and other federal agencies modeling the economic impact of new technologies. Dr. Gallaher specializes in developing baseline/counterfactual scenarios from which incremental costs and benefits can be measured, and he has conducted both retrospective and prospective technology assessments. His research has involved assessing the economic implications of technology adoption in the automotive, aerospace, computer hardware and software, chemical, iron and steel, and construction industries. Dr. Gallaher has led the review and redesign of national establishment-level surveys for NSF and EPA and has developed and implemented a wide range of survey methods, including in-person, telephone, mail, and Internet-based surveys.

Barriers to Adoption and the Technology Infrastructure for Smart Manufacturing

Advances in sensing, communications, and analysis of digital information have made available new opportunities for increasing efficiency, lowering costs, and improving product quality. However, a recent study commissioned by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) finds that smart manufacturing is not being adopted at an accelerated rate in key manufacturing sectors of the U.S. economy. The study finds that barriers exist to the adoption of all but the simplest of smart manufacturing technologies, and enhancements in the technology infrastructure are needed to develop/enable the next-generation of manufacturing technologies. Based on over 80 in-depth interviews and an extensive review of prior studies, the analysis identifies six critical gaps in smart manufacturing capabilities and the specific technology infrastructure needed to meet those needs. This presentation will discuss barriers to adoption and investigates how industry can work to mitigate these barriers and accelerate the uptake of smart manufacturing technologies.