mHUB, IMEC AND UI LABS LAUNCH FOURTH REVOLUTION AWARDS TO CELEBRATE REGION’S MANUFACTURING INNOVATION AND LEADERSHIP
Illinois manufacturing community leaders collaborate on awards ceremony to recognize the leaders, visionaries and corporate champions of manufacturing
CHICAGO (July 18, 2017) – mHUB, IMEC and UI LABS have announced the inaugural industry awards ceremony that will take place on October 18, 2017 at the Wintrust Grand Banking Hall in Chicago to recognize talent and achievements in manufacturing.
The Fourth Revolution Awards celebrates regional manufacturing for its leadership and innovation as the industry stands on the brink of a new technological revolution. The ceremony culminates in the presentation of eight awards to deserving leaders, companies and industrial initiatives that have made significant contributions to the Chicago region’s manufacturing ecosystem.
“The Fourth Revolution Awards will prove to be our most robust celebration of regional manufacturing to date. We look forward to celebrating the success and inspiration from leaders across the region and carrying the beacon forward for the future together,” said mHUB Executive Director and Co-founder, Haven Allen.
Named for the Fourth Industrial Revolution which fuses physical product development with digital processes to impact all disciplines, economies and industries, the award ceremony will showcase emerging technological breakthroughs in fields such as the Internet of Things, advanced analytics, autonomous vehicles, robotics, 3D printing and artificial intelligence.
“These awards will recognize programs, companies and individuals from a cross section of the manufacturing ecosystem," said UI LABS Chief Executive Officer, Caralynn Nowinski Collens. "Small manufacturers and startups are essential to the transformation of the U.S. manufacturing supply chain, and we are excited to celebrate their game-changing achievements alongside corporate and community leaders."
Awards will be presented for long-time manufacturing leadership, innovation and new talent in manufacturing, significant investment in emerging manufacturing sectors and promoting diversity and inclusion in the industry. The awards are:
Community Empowerment Award: Recognizes a program or an initiative that promotes diversity and inclusion in manufacturing.
Product Design of the Year: Recognizes a product design that is unique, improves user experience, and impacts productivity as well as the greater good.
Innovation of the Year: Recognizes a technology or process that can advance multiple technologies and significantly improve the manufacturing ecosystem.
Startup of the Year: Recognizes an individual startup company for its innovation, creativity and significant accomplishments in the region.
Rising Star of the Year: Recognizes a pre-series B round individual startup company before its fourth year in operation, for its innovation, creativity and position as the next great company to emerge in the region.
Small and Mid-Sized Manufacturer of the Year: Recognizes a small or mid-sized manufacturer that has demonstrated its excellence in business practices, innovative processes and productivity enhancements as well as contributions to its local community.
Manufacturer of the Year: Recognizes an individual or manufacturing company that has demonstrated its excellence in business practices, innovative processes, and productivity enhancements and has made a significant financial investment to manufacturing capacity in the region.
Corporate Champion: Recognizes a corporation or business that has made an impact on manufacturing through community focused efforts and significant financial investment throughout the region.
“This presentation of awards to the industrial community in the Chicago region demonstrates a strong representation of the forward-thinking leaders and trendsetters in manufacturing,” said David Boulay, IMEC President. “To be able to recognize the individuals and organizations that challenge the status quo and generate awareness of new innovations and the importance of manufacturing to a broader audience is truly exciting to witness. No doubt these innovators should be acknowledged for their great contributions.”
For more information on the ceremony, sponsorship opportunities and award nominations, visit www.4RevAwards.com and follow @4RevAwards on Twitter.
About mHUB
mHUB is Chicago’s innovation center for physical product development and manufacturing. mHUB is a co-working community of product designers and developers, entrepreneurs, engineers and manufacturers, a network of manufacturing mentors, industry experts and investors, and a source of intellectual and economic capital. mHUB is home to ten shops and labs, including electronics, plastic fabrication, metals and rapid prototyping as well as a microfactory for small production runs.
About IMEC
IMEC is a team of improvement specialists and technicians dedicated to providing organizations in Illinois with the tools and techniques to create sustainable competitive futures. The experienced, hands-on team at IMEC works closely with its clients to plan, implement, and excel critical business improvements in the areas of Leadership, Strategy, Customer Engagement, Operations, and Workforce.
About UI LABS
UI LABS is an innovation accelerator that leverages its network of hundreds of partners from universities + industry to address problems too big for any one organization to solve. Our mission is to transform industries, starting with manufacturing and infrastructure, using digital technology. UI LABS' manufacturing innovation platform, the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute (DMDII), aims to provide U.S. factories with the tools, software and expertise they need to build things more efficiently, less expensively and more quickly, so they can win more business and bring jobs back to the United States.
