NCNGM Group

Calling All Industry Partners!

We really need you to help guide the work of the college programs that the National Science Foundation (NSF) funded National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing (NCNGM) is serving! Please join us virtually on Friday, December 12, 10:00 am -12:00 pm Eastern Time to discuss several lists of future knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) that you think are needed for graduates from 2-year colleges in the following programs:

Smart Automation, Multi-craft Industrial Maintenance Technician, and Mechatronics.

Smart Automation and Mechatronics are reasonably self-explanatory, and Multi-craft has a broad focus to enable a graduate to perform industrial systems maintenance , to install, repair, maintain, and test a wide variety of industrial systems.

These lists of knowledge, skills, and abilities have already been validated by college teams, and we want to post them for national use after you help us to review them for national applicability. We will be using a variation…

Small Board, Big Impact: The Single Board Computer Revolution

The Single Board Computer (SBC) market is experiencing explosive growth, transforming from a niche tool for hobbyists and educators into a foundational component of modern industrial and consumer technology. These compact, fully functional computers—where the processor, memory, and I/O are all integrated onto a single circuit board—are proving to be the perfect answer to the tech industry's constant need for smaller, smarter, and more cost-effective solutions.

The Engine of Industrial Automation

The most significant driver of the SBC market is the unstoppable rise of industrial automation. As companies worldwide implement the principles of Industry 4.0 and create smart factories, they require reliable, customizable, and small computing platforms to control complex machinery and processes.

SBCs are perfectly suited for this role. Their low power consumption, rugged design (in industrial-grade variants), and ability to handle real-time data processing make them ideal for tasks…