Digital innovation, workforce development drive Conexus Indiana’s new strategic plan
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Conexus Indiana, the nonprofit initiative focused on advancing Indiana’s advanced manufacturing and logistics sectors, has unveiled a new, six-year strategic plan to address key challenges in the industry.
“Conexus 2031: Empowering Bold Industry Transformation” builds on a recent report from the nonprofit that emphasized a need for continued tech adoption and development of talent trained in Industry 4.0 skills to maintain the state’s top position in advanced manufacturing and logistics (AML).
Bryce Carpenter, chief operations and strategy officer for Conexus, says AML is critical to Indiana’s economic health, with more than 840,000 workers contributing $151 million to the state’s GDP.
“It’s 25%—so one in four of all Indiana jobs—and 37% of Indiana’s economic output,” Carpenter told Inside INdiana Business. “AML continuing to be healthy and grow and provide meaningful employment for Hoosiers all over the state is critical for our state’s health, and we own some of that responsibility.”
Carpenter said scaling digital technology adoption among manufacturing and logistics companies is a top priority—and Conexus’ Manufacturing Readiness Grants have been a big step in that direction—but more must be done.
“We have to foster a culture of innovation within AML to build that innovation ecosystem that we need,” he said. “We must continue to eliminate barriers to tech adoption, particularly [for] small- to mid-sized manufacturers. Part of the chain that we want to provide…is not waiting for companies to come to the conclusion on their own, [but] helping them evaluate the opportunity and then make that meaningful investment.”
The strategic plan focuses in on four key areas: developing connections, networks and ecosystems; maximizing talent; driving innovation; and delivering thought leadership.
Carpenter said the talent portion, specifically workforce development, is one of the main goals for the nonprofit. The industry, according to Conexus, needs to seek new ways to increase training opportunities for current workers and to attract and train new employees.
Workforce development, Carpenter said, has to be a multi-pronged approach.
“We hear from our partners all the time about [talent] being the primary challenge that industry is facing,” he said. “So we’re trying to think of it a little bit differently in that what we’re trying to really drive with this strategic plan is scale. It’s not just about getting more people into the funnel. It’s about awareness, it’s about skills development, it’s about continuing education, as well as more people into the workforce.”
He said partnerships with organizations such as Ivy Tech Community College are continuing to do good work in developing smart manufacturing skills training courses for employers.
“The challenges that these industries face—particularly around workforce availability—cannot be solved by one organization alone,” Conexus Indiana Board Chair Scott Brand, who also serves as president and COO of Subaru of Indiana Automotive in Lafayette, said in written remarks. “It is only through collective action, with Conexus well positioned to lead the way, that we can create a meaningful impact.”
One of the primary challenges facing advanced manufacturing and logistics companies in Indiana, Carpenter said, is productivity.
He said Indiana has had an advantage on productivity—reflecting the relationship between the number of workers and economic output—over its neighbors, but that lead is shrinking.
“To get more people into the workforce, we also have to ensure that they are as productive as possible,” Carpenter said. “It’s about helping companies pick the most meaningful way to spend their resources and invest them into technologies. But also, how do I identify the skills needed? How do I teach? How do I maintain, how do I upgrade the skills to make sure that I’m capturing the value that caused me to make the investment on the front end?”
Carpenter added that success for the strategic plan will be measured around wages, productivity and investment. He said the goal is to not only get companies to make the needed investments to provide meaningful opportunities for employees, but also ensure Hoosiers are entering meaningful, high-paying careers.