Business View Magazine - Sept 2023

136 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 9 In the vast expanse of the manufacturing landscape, the importance of community and networking cannot be overstated. Clemons talks about MESA’s initiatives in fostering these connections. “We’ve established what we term the ‘Smart Manufacturing Community’,” he reveals. “This community comprises several groups, each meeting virtually every few weeks, centered around various facets of smart manufacturing.” These sub-communities, as Clemons describes them, range from topics like the industrial Internet of Things to specific software or AI methodologies. “It’s a peer-to-peer community,” he emphasizes. “While we facilitate, it’s community-led, allowing members to discuss the latest trends, challenges, and solutions in their respective areas.” Beyond these communities, MESA has also instituted numerous working groups. “These groups are an extension of our community, bringing together experts from diverse industries to produce guidance in the form of best practices,” Clemons explains. Whether it’s a white paper, a guidebook, a webinar, or even a new class, these working groups are at the forefront of knowledge dissemination. Clemons further underscores the significance of these working groups. “The idea is to first engage individuals in the smart manufacturing community and then channel their expertise into these working groups. We have dozens of such communities and working groups, each dedicated to various subjects.”