Tab Wilkins

Regional manager for strategic transition

Tab Wilkins is a regional manager for strategic transition and a senior technology advisor at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), primarily supporting MEP centers in the western United States. Wilkins helped establish and run two MEP centers and has a varied background in nonprofit management, leadership development, and technology-based economic development.

Mon, 11/18/2013 - 17:55
Five Steps to Being a ‘Smarter’ Manufacturer Resolve to check out these resources
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 12:02
There’s no question the digital manufacturing revolution is racing at us. As a small or medium-sized manufacturer, how close are you to already being “smart?” Here are five steps in the journey to becoming a smarter digital enterprise. First and…
Commercial Space Exploration: New Frontier for Manufacturers? U.S. spacecraft market could grow 18%–40% by 2030—that’s a lot of cheese
Mon, 07/18/2016 - 15:08
Recently there have been several successful public launches of reusable space vehicles by SpaceX and Blue Origin. This prompted me to ask: What is the future of space activity and travel, and what opportunity, if any, does this potentially have for…
Are CEOs Asking Themselves ‘What If?’You can count on change; therefore the CEO has to connect the dots
Mon, 05/02/2016 - 15:10
Recently I came across the PriceWaterhouseCoopers U.S. CEO Survey and watched several videos about leadership challenges for manufacturers. The speakers talked about new and old trends they’re focused on as company leaders, as well as several…
Cheers to ManufacturingCraft brewing is manufacturing with a 7,000-year-old tradition
Thu, 09/04/2014 - 10:50
What’s still based on centuries-old technology but is experiencing a renaissance of growth and entrepreneurship today? Brewing beer—that frothy, cold beverage that millions enjoy responsibly each day. You’ve probably seen a new local brewery open,…
Robots for Small ManufacturersAffordable automation draws closer for short-run production facilities
Wed, 03/05/2014 - 16:10
Has robotics as a technology reached maturity and affordability for smaller manufacturers? It seems the answer is yes and no. Years ago future trends in manufacturing frequently imagined completely automated environments, and while that hasn’t…
Reinforcing the Industrial Ecosystem of U.S. ManufacturingMEP helps in bringing the value of the manufacturing industry to light
Mon, 11/18/2013 - 17:55
Last month I heard about Making in America—From Innovation to Market (The MIT Press, 2013), by Suzanne Berger and her colleagues at MIT. I’ve finished reading the book, and although I didn’t necessarily agree with all the conclusions, I’d like to…