Manufacturing and Technology Summit returns to spotlight Texas innovation and cybersecurity
The Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center (TMAC) hosted its second annual Manufacturing and Technology Summit this past week, bringing together industry leaders, government agencies, and other stakeholders to address the future of advanced manufacturing in Texas.
The event, held at the University of Houston in celebration of Manufacturing and Cybersecurity Month, featured speakers and key innovation partners including the Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CyManII).
The summit was kicked off by Texas House representative (District 132) Mike Schofield, who mentioned how critical cybersecurity has become to the stability and growth of the state’s manufacturing sector.
“None of this manufacturing works if everything shuts down,” Schofield said. “We need to get cybersecurity operating in Texas to protect our private industries avoid cyberattacks. It’s a never-ending game of cat and mouse, and we need to stay on step ahead of the game.”
This year’s event focused on fusion energy, smart manufacturing, and cybersecurity. Panel discussion included “The Path to Fusion Energy Dominance,” “Future of Energy,” and “SECURE. Together,” The CyManII Difference.”
For Texas’ small and medium-sized manufacturers, the event offered an opportunity to stay ahead of a rapidly evolving industrial landscape. CyManII was there to show leaders and innovators real-world solutions in the Operational Technology (OT) space – the machines that are on the manufacturing floor.
“There’s more to the equation than just perimeter defense – and that’s where CyManII comes in,” said Ed McCormick, CyManII’s Lone Star Cyber Forge Regional Innovation Officer. “Our specialty is to safeguard the equipment that arrives to your site with vulnerabilities already built in. We’re here to help defend against that.”
Cybersecurity also took center stage at the summit with attendees visiting CyManII’s Mobile Technology Vehicle (MTV), a traveling computer and demo lab designed to show manufacturers how to identify vulnerabilities and strengthen their digital defenses.
“The MTV is like a Swiss Army Knife,” said Vince Rendon, CyManII’s Operational Technology Instructor. “We can take it right to a manufacturer’s doorstep and train them on our platform.”
