To keep pace with global competition, today’s small and mid-sized manufacturers are in a perpetual search for new ways to produce cost effectively with the highest levels of quality. Process optimization, six sigma deployment, and training can help, but they’re not the answer for every situation. Sometimes, the solution may lie in acquiring or leveraging advanced technology to automate production, develop new products, or seize new business opportunities

Using the process developed by the Research Triangle Institute International (RTI), IMEC will search outside traditional channels to find solutions for unmet technology needs.

THE PROCESS

Step 1 – IMEC will work with small and mid-sized manufacturers to evaluate each situation and determine whether enhanced technology is a potential fit.

Step 2 – We search for technology options using cross-market, cross-discipline visibility and known network resources such as Universities, Federal Research Labs, or corporate developers.

Step 3 – We identify emerging technologies using nontraditional investigative techniques. We look at aligned industry sectors, case examples of technology used in vertical industries, and determine whether a technology can be re-purposed to match the client’s situation.

Step 4 – We thoroughly evaluate the technologies to ensure they address the problem/need stated by the client.