School of Engineering Technology
PURDUE’S SMART MANUFACTURING LABS
Purdue Polytechnic’s School of Engineering Technology (SOET) is at the forefront of integrating applied learning with the rigorous study of engineering principles. As a nexus of innovation, SOET equips students to approach and resolve engineering complexities using cutting-edge facilities like the Smart Learning Factory, propelling them to excel in a wide range of engineering careers. Committed to lead, SOET addresses the talent gap in manufacturing with a curriculum that is as dynamic as the industry it serves.
Building a Better Workforce
Since 2018, Purdue Polytechnic’s School of Engineering Technology (a university hub of technology and innovation), or SoET, has persistently pursued the next giant leap in education, focusing on the workforce development challenges in the field of engineering. After five years of trailblazing research and global networking, we’ve built the first smart learning factory of its kind in the U.S. and created groundbreaking curriculum to back it up. But this is more than a five-year plan—we’re just getting started.
There’s an immediate need to train employees in new technologies across the entire manufacturing sector. Leading industry voices say up to 53% of job openings in this crucial part of the American economy could lie vacant in the years to come.
As companies implement vital digital technology in their processes, more than half of the leaders in these institutions worry that their factory workforce is unprepared to adapt. Without swift action to address these concerns, 2.1 million manufacturing jobs may go unfilled by 2030.
Purdue is committed to addressing these workforce challenges. Our faculty experts have worked relentlessly with international academies and industry partners to create a curriculum and learning environment that will cultivate leaders that are industry-ready across engineering disciplines.
And now, we are ready to show the world what we’ve built.
Smart Manufacturing
The Smart Manufacturing and Industrial Informatics program, run by Purdue University’s School of Engineering Technology, has created a set of four smart facilities designed to prepare our students to occupy lead engineering positions in the factory of the future.
The Smart Factory, Smart Foundry, Industrial Internet-of-Things Lab, and Intelligent Process Manufacturing Lab place the next generation of Industry 4.0 professionals at the center of the action. We incorporate artificial intelligence, robotics, cloud computing, and advanced automation into a factory setting. Purdue students get a real-world, industry-ready education in the Smart Manufacturing program, designed to expand their skill set beyond what any other academic program in the country could give them.
Designed with the Future in Mind
The School of Engineering Technology's smart facilities are brand-new, but the Smart Manufacturing program is a future-proof curriculum designed to go far beyond the short-term.
We will address the crisis in workforce preparedness so that critical industries will have better hires by 2030. But whether our Smart Learning Factory is one day old or ten years old, Purdue’s learn-by-doing approach is designed to carry our graduates even farther into the future.
Purdue's Manufacturing program in the School of Engineering Technology combines engineering theory with application. In our Smart facilities, students will experience real-world production challenges such as design efficiency, equipment failure, and data application, while utilizing the latest and greatest manufacturing technology. We want the future’s leaders to be industry ready on day-one, equipped to identify and solve the world’s toughest engineering challenges.
