2 hours ago
Kelley Rogers, deputy director for the Office of Advanced Manufacturing at NIST, speaks with Eric Munson, the Dane O. Kildsig Chair in Industrial and Physical Pharmacy, department head, and co-director of the Young Institute, during a fireside chat at the Indiana Life Sciences Manufacturing Summit. (Photo provided by Krista Neuenschwander Photography)
March 18, 2026 Purdue Today
On March 5, 2026, leaders from industry, academia, and government convened in Indianapolis for the 2026 Indiana Life Sciences Manufacturing Summit. The event was organized by the William D. and Sherry L. Young Institute for the Advanced Manufacturing of Pharmaceuticals, along with Purdue’s Office of Research and Office of Industry Partnerships. This fourth annual summit focused on advancing Indiana’s rapidly growing life sciences manufacturing ecosystem and strengthening collaborations between academia and industry.
This year’s summit centered on the theme, "The Intelligent Factory: Driving the Next Revolution in Life Science Manufacturing through AI, Automation, and Regulatory Innovation." It explored how emerging technologies are transforming pharmaceutical and biotherapeutic production. The program featured keynote remarks from Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.), Grace McArdle, executive vice president for manufacturing and quality at Elanco; Kelley Rogers, deputy director for the Office of Advanced Manufacturing at the National Institute of Standards and Technology; and Venkat Venkatasubramanian, the Samuel Ruben-Peter G. Viele Professor of Engineering at Columbia University. The event also included several panel discussions with regional industry leaders and policymakers.
The Young Institute at Purdue aims to advance pharmaceutical manufacturing by delivering innovative research and industry-relevant education and training. Its goals include reducing costs, improving access to medicines, and supporting economic development at the state, regional, and national levels.
