The 1st Aix-en-Provence's Arts et Métiers and Texas A&M University workshop: the founding of a joint transatlantic research center

At the center of the debate: intelligent manufacturing for the industry of the future

Following an agreement signed on 30 November 2017, the Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Arts et Métiers Aix-en-Provence Campus (ENSAM) and the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) have organized a workshop on the progress of intelligent manufacturing for the industry of the future. Taking place on 23 June at the Texan university (TAMU), students, researchers, companies and manufacturers will be invited to exchange views on the industry's needs in terms of innovation and education. A panel of speakers from the South of France will present its perspective on the opportunities offered by this cutting-edge sector. A discussion that will form the foundation for a joint center for excellence in research, innovation and education between France/USA - to be implanted in the Aix-en-Provence's Arts et Métiers Campus - on the mechanics of materials and advanced manufacturing

Closely following the industry's evolution is a crucial challenge for engineering schools. It is also the aim of the partnership formed between Aix-en-Provence's Art et Métiers and the Texan university to collectively study the themes that are likely to become tomorrow's areas of expertise.

The first workshop to emerge from this international agreement will focus on new materials and future manufacturing systems at the heart of industrial activities. It will last a full day and take place on 23 June at College Station - home to the Texan university - with the objective of exploring all the possible avenues for cooperation in the fields of research and education.

Presence of experts

The program is counting on the diversity of the speakers. Industry players, teachers-researchers, technicians and entrepreneurs will exchange views on complex technologies with emerging applications like the processing of composite materials based on natural fibers or quick-setting cast magnesium intended for manufacturing parts for the aeronautical and healthcare markets.

As an introduction, a presentation of the ENSAM/TEES partnership will be given by Professor El Mansori, Program Director - ENSAM and by Professor S. Bukkapatnam, Program Director - TEES. Several representatives from the Aix-Marseille-Provence region will testify to the work being carried-out in the South of France within an ecosystem that is rich in both academic research laboratories and private laboratories. These will include: the leader Airbus Helicopters (that is present in Dallas), the innovative STIL company, an expert in optical technology for high-performance industrial measurements and Team Henri-Fabre, equipped with a 'techno-center' for the development of innovative mechanics and materials and processes of the future. 

Panel discussion on education

In order to prepare future engineers for these avant-garde technologies, ENSAM and TESS rely on collaborative research projects. The teaching methods for the acquisition of skills are being reinvented through the prism of digital, 3D printers and the sharing of equipment inside the 'fab lab'. A panel discussion presided by Michael Johnson and Jyhwen Wang (TEES-TAMU) will launch the debate on education in this field, its needs and its perspectives under the patronage of the professional association for industrial manufacturing SME.

The exchanges between the two schools, set to begin this June, perfectly illustrate this willingness to share knowledge and to look beyond the borders. The Aix-en-Provence campus will be welcoming 25 Texan students (juniors in Mechanics) and their professor on 19 June for a five-week summer school session.

"This exchange is a great opportunity to introduce them to our local ecosystem with a double objective: industrial and cultural. This experience will reinforce our interactions through high value-added activities" rejoices Professor Philippe Collot, the Aix-en-Provence Art et Métiers Campus Director.

Simultaneously touching on the modernization of the production tool and the development of materials, the smart industry is creating new jobs that are a source of opportunity for both young students and innovation. This cooperation is designed to help them.

• Consult the workshop's detailed program