DEARBORN, MI — Panel discussions on issues fundamental to the future of aerospace and defense manufacturing are previewed in new podcasts posted in advance of AeroDef Manufacturing Summit and Exposition, which takes place Feb. 25–27 at the Long Beach (CA) Convention Center.

SME and some of the nation’s largest OEMs are looking for new ways to integrate the industry’s distributed and diverse supply chain to drive innovation and increase productivity. The Executive Insights Series addresses these issues through discussions among high-level manufacturing executives from business and government.

• Kellie Johnson, president, Ace Clearwater Enterprises, explains the effects of budget uncertainty on suppliers and emerging opportunities stemming from public policy. The panel is Sequestration: OEM & Supplier Perspectives,” on Feb. 25.

• Dickie George, senior advisor for cyber security, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab, explains the importance of maintaining the integrity of chips and other parts in the manufacturing process and emerging new solutions. The panel is “Cyber Security and Counterfeit Parts & Materials: An Escalating Global Challenge for Aerospace & Defense Manufacturers,” on Feb. 26.
• Al Sanders, president and CEO, Design-Vantage Technologies,, explains the obstacles to adoption of additive manufacturing, often referred to as 3D printing, and the role the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institutes (NAMII) can play. The panel is “3D Modeling in Manufacturing: The Changing Aerospace & Defense Supply Chain and the Digital Innovation Imperative,” on Feb/ 27.