Stay in the loop for details for the 2026 MBE & QIF Summit
When
Tuesday, April 14 through Thursday, April 16, 2026
Where
MxD Innovation Center
1415 N. Cherry Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60642
Notice:
There will be no virtual component to either event. Attendance is in-person only.
Who
Anyone working in or supporting any industry in the areas of design, manufacturing, quality, or process will benefit from attending the event such as:
- Design Engineers
- Quality Engineers
- Manufacturing Engineers
- Model-Based Enterprise Leaders
- Process Improvement Visionaries
The emphasis will be on exchanging data throughout the enterprise using a Model-Based Definition. Medical, aerospace, defense, electronics, automotive, industrial equipment, and product development industries from small to large organizations are represented at this annual event.
The 2026 MBE & QIF Summit looks to continue advancing the development of open standards that enable the seamless exchange of Model-Based Definitions and manufacturing quality data.
This annual event brings together experts from academia, government, and industry to discuss challenges, share implementation experiences, and highlight lessons learned across design, manufacturing, and quality assurance. At its core, the Summit emphasizes a Model-Based approach, where a digital 3D model serves as the authoritative source of information throughout the entire product lifecycle.
In recent years, the event has been co-hosted by NIST and DMSC. With the recent shift in NIST priorities, DMSC now leads the effort, continuing to champion digital transformation alongside forward-thinking manufacturing companies committed to the vision of a Model-Based Enterprise (MBE).
As a thought leader, the DMSC (Digital Metrology Standards Consortium) is committed to developing and promoting the interoperability of standards that will benefit the industry as a whole and invites participation from other standards organizations with shared goals. DMSC is the developer of QIF (Quality Information Framework) and other ISO standards, generally related to quality data exchange within an enterprise and supply chain.
MxD (Manufacturing x Digital), a digital manufacturing institute, drives American economic prosperity by boosting manufacturing competitiveness through technology innovation and workforce development. In collaboration with the Department of Defense, MxD brings together an ecosystem to tackle critical manufacturing challenges, accelerating digital adoption, building a skilled workforce, and modernizing supply chains. Following the brilliant success of the 2025 MBE & QIF Summit, MxD has committed to partnering with DMSC to host the event again in 2026.
2026 MBE & QIF Summit Marketing Alliance Partners
ASME
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) has been shaping the future of engineering since 1880. ASME is a global nonprofit advancing engineering knowledge and practice. It develops internationally recognized codes and standards, provides professional development, and fosters innovation across industries. ASME empowers engineers worldwide to address critical global challenges and drive technological progress for a safer, more sustainable future.
MTConnect Institute
The MTConnect Institute is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit standards development organization for the MTConnect standard.
The MTConnect standard offers a semantic vocabulary for manufacturing equipment to provide structured, contextualized data with no proprietary format. With uniform data, developers and integrators can focus on useful, productive manufacturing applications rather than translation. MTConnect data sources include things like production equipment, sensor packages, and other hardware. Applications using MTConnect data provide more efficient operations, improved production optimization, and increased productivity.
PDES, Inc.
PDES, Inc. members represent leading manufacturers, U.S government agencies, universities, and software vendors.
We partner to support the Digital Enterprise through the development and implementation of product information standards. These standards support model-based engineering, model-based manufacturing, and model-based sustainment. PDES, Inc, is driving industry consensus on requirements for persistent identification in the Digital Thread and conducting collaborative cross-domain interoperability testing among software translators to ensure that this high-priority gap is addressed and implemented consistently in commercially available software.
SAE International
SAE International is a global organization committed to advancing mobility knowledge and solutions for the benefit of humanity. By engaging nearly 200,000 engineers, technical experts and volunteers, we connect and educate mobility professionals to enable safe, clean, and accessible mobility solutions. Learn more at www.sae.org.
Thank You 2026 Sponsors
The agenda for the 2026 MBE & QIF Summit is outlined below. Please be aware that the schedule is subject to change and to please check for updates.
Day One Schedule of Events
8:00-8:30
Registration & Check-in
8:30-8:45
Welcome & Session Introduction
Rosemary Astheimer, MC | Belcan, A Cognizant Company
8:45-9:00
Welcome to MxD
Berardino Baratta | MxD
9:00 – 10:00
Keynote
10:00 – 10:30
ASME MBE Standards Committee
Evan Kessick | ASME MBE Standards Committee
Blake Gorowsky | Pratt & Whitney
10:30-11:00
Break
11:00-11:30
MTConnect
Will Sobel | MTConnect
11:30-12:00
DMSC: Impacting the Digital Thread with Quality
Curtis Brown | DMSC
12:00-12:30
STEP
Allison Barnard | PDES Inc.
12:30-13:30
Lunch
13:30-14:00
How SAE is Supporting the MBE Community
Leslie McKay | SAE International
14:00-14:30
QIF Beyond FAI: Connecting Model-Based Data to DFMEA, Control Plans, and Production Quality Processes
Ron Trout | Net-Inspect
14:30-15:00
A New Framework for MBE Decision-Making
Chad Jackson | Lifecycle Insights
15:00-15:30
Break
15:30-16:00
Model-Based Quality Assurance: A Key Enabler to Scale and Speed
Bill Bernstein | Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
16:00-16:30
Practical MBE: Standards, Maturity, and Impact
Ben Hopper | NCC
16:30-17:00
Historical MTConnect for Supply Chain Data Propagation
Trais McAllister | True Analytics Manufacturing Solutions
17:00-17:05
Summit Day One Wrap-up
Rosemary Astheimer, MC | Belcan, A Cognizant Company
17:05-18:30
Reception
Day Two Schedule of Events
8:00-8:30
Registration & Check-in
8:30-8:35
Day Two Welcome
Rosemary Astheimer, MC | Belcan, A Cognizant Company
8:35-9:05
Model-Based Definition (MBD) Maturity Model Framework
Ryan Bounds | HII-Newport News Shipbuilding
Mark Debbink | HII-Newport News Shipbuilding
9:05-9:35
Making the Business Case for Model-Based Enterprise
Andrew Bank | Exiger
9:35-10:05
From MBD to Production: A Standards-Driven, Model-Based Path to Digital Validation and Traceability
Ben Urick | nVariate, Inc.
10:05 – 10:30
Break
10:30 – 11:00
Achieving Success with NSE MBE Maturity Index
George Rendell | Siemens Digital Industries Software
Mike Werkheiser | Belcan
11:00-11:30
Model-Based Design Implementation
Blake Gorowsky | Pratt & Whitney
11:30-12:00
Automized Model-Based Tolerance Analysis
Miroslaw Chamera | ARIADNE Engineering AB
Shreyes N. Melkote | Georgia Institute of Technology
12:00-13:00
Lunch
13:00-13:30
Closing the Quality Loop Using QIF MBE with PolyWorks and MBDVidia
Larry Bergquist | Capvidia
Louis-Jerome Doyon | InnovMetric
13:30 – 14:00
Requirements to Reality: Building a Digitally Connected Supply Chain
Chris Kulinka | Belcan, A Cognizant Company
Abbey Soulek | GE Aerospace
14:00-14:30
Extending the Capabilities of Data Element Mapping and Analysis for
Advanced Manufacturing
Christian Zamiela | Auburn University
14:30-15:00
Break
15:00-15:30
A QIF-Supported Workflow for Estimating CMM Measurement Uncertainty
Jacob Brooks | University of North Carolina at Charlotte
15:30 – 16:00
Model Based Quality: Secure, Interoperable Data Flow
Albert Ismailov | OUSW (R&E), SE&A Specialty Engineering Directorate
Brent Lewis
16:00-16:30
Solving for the Hidden Bottleneck in Model-Based Manufacturing
Zack Valdez | NEMA
16:30 -16:35
Summit Day Two Wrap-up
Rosemary Astheimer, MC | Belcan, A Cognizant Company
16:35-18:20
Reception & Factory Floor Tour
Day Three Schedule of Events
8:00-8:30
Registration & Check-in
8:30-8:35
Day Three Welcome
Rosemary Astheimer, MC | Belcan, A Cognizant Company
8:35-9:05
Authoritative Source of Truth for Common Parts Across the Military Services: A Discussion
Open Forum
9:05-9:35
MB-DMI Collaboration the Supply Chain, RTX Vision + Business Unit Progress
Samuel Yang | RTX
Christopher Scott | Pratt & Whitney
9:35-10:05
Federated Learning for Secure Cyber Manufacturing Capability Matching in Defense Supply Chains
Mike Yan & Xiaoliang Yan | OpenWerks, Inc.
Shreyes N. Melkote | Georgia Institute of Technology
10:05-10:30
Break
10:30-11:00
Closing the Gaps: Unifying Standards for Enterprise-Ready MBD
Atsuto Soma & Evan Kessick | Elysium Inc.
11:00-11:30
Model-Based Standard Validation
William Sobel | Association for Manufacturing Technology (MTConnect)
11:30-12:00
Advancing Manufacturing Readiness Through Model-Based Engineering Training: A National Prototype
James Brino & Dr. Amy Thompson | Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, Inc.
12:00-13:00
Lunch
13:00-13:30
Digital Standards and Specifications Built on QIF Rules
Daniel Campbell | Rubypoint
Evan Frank | GE Aerospace
Kevin Braun | John Deere
13:30-14:30
2026 3D MBD Hack-A-Thon
Open Forum
14:30-15:00
Break
15:00
Summit Wrap-up
Rosemary Astheimer, MC | Belcan, A Cognizant Company
Optional Post Summit Meetings
9:00-12:00
MTConnect Standards Committee Meeting
AMT and the MTConnect Institute invite you to spend Friday after the summit at two meetings we are hosting.
The MTConnect Standards Committee annual face-to-face meeting will be held from 9:00 am to 12:00 CT. We will discuss what we have completed since the last meeting and the new directions and focus areas of the standard. We will also cover technology and innovation happening in the industry.
13:00-17:00
MTConnect Capabilities Meeting
The Second half of the day, from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, is devoted to a discussion of how we define and use capabilities, ranging from manufacturing enterprises to individual pieces of equipment and possibly their components. Lockheed Martin will lead the conversation and explore how one uses capabilities to identify potential manufacturing opportunities and potential in manufacturing systems. We will also explore how capabilities align with requirements and how the two concepts intersect when determining how and where to make something. The specification of capabilities is a cross-domain standardization problems that require a concerted effort across multiple organizations.
9:00 – 12:00
ASME MBE & Y14 Harmonization Committee Meeting
Efforts among the ASME Model-Based Enterprise (MBE) and Y14 Engineering Product Definition and Related Documentation Practices committees strive to harmonize terminology, collect, catalog, and harmonizing 3D Model-Based and non-graphical data elements, and identify their relationships. Tasks include developing guidance for using ASME standards and related work products in model-only environments. Content is created from the mechanical engineering viewpoint within the product lifecycle to create, use, and reuse annotated 3D models in product definition data sets. ASME MBE is also working toward establishing a maturity index as well as features and characteristics of enterprise product data.
This meeting should be open to all attendees without any restrictions.
Location
MxD is located on Goose Island at 1415 N. Cherry Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60642, approximately 2 miles west and 1 mile north of Navy Pier.
Hotel Accommodations
A block of rooms have been reserved at the following hotels with preferred rates :
Courtyard by Marriott
30 E Hubbard Street
- 2.5 miles from MxD
- Fitness center
- Indoor pool & sauna
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
(Marriott Bonvoy members)
Home2 Suites by Hilton
110 W Huron Street
- 2 miles from MxD
- Complimentary daily breakfast
- Studios & suites with kitchenette
- Outdoor lounge areas with fire pit
The Royal Sonesta
505 N State Street
- 2.4 miles from MxD
- Heated indoor pool & outdoor sundeck
- Near iconic Chicago landmarks
- Free Wi-Fi for guests
Transportation
Driving from O’Hare Airport (15.4 miles from MxD)
Follow the signs and merge onto Highway I-190 E (0.8 mi). Follow the signs to merge onto I-90 E (13 mi). Exit at 49E, Division St. Continue on Division (0.7 mi) until reaching Hickory Ave. Turn left onto Hickory, which will merge into Cherry Ave. The MxD parking lot is located on the right-hand side of the street.
Driving from Midway Airport (12.7 miles from MxD)
Follow the signs and merge onto Highway I-55 N (2.6 mi). Follow the signs to merge onto I-90 W / I-94 W (9.5 mi). Exit at 49A, Division St. Continue on Division (0.6 mi) until reaching Hickory Ave. Turn left onto Hickory, which will merge into Cherry Ave. The MxD parking lot is located on the right-hand side of the street.
Public Transit – Metra
The Clybourn Metra station is a short taxi ride from the facility. The station is located at 2001 North Ashland Ave., approximately 1.5 miles from MxD. The Clybourn Station serves Metra’s Union Pacific/North Line and Union Pacific/Northwest Line.
For more information, visit www.metrarail.com
Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)
Train
MxD is accessible by Chicago Transit Authority Red and Blue Line trains. https://www.transitchicago.com/
From the Blue line: Exit Division stop, then walk east on Division or take #70 Division Bus east to Cherry Avenue. Walk north on Cherry to MxD.
From the Red line: Exit North/Clybourn stop. Walk west on North Avenue, then make a left onto the Cherry Avenue pedway bridge (near Jiffy Lube), continuing down Cherry Avenue to MxD.
Bus
MxD is in close proximity to the Chicago Transit Authority #70 Division Bus and #8 Halsted Bus. For more detailed transportation information, visit www.transitchicago.com
Unsure Which Option to Take?
The Chicago Transit Authority website provides a chart on their website that shows the cost of options getting from the airport to downtown via public transportation as well as taxi/rideshare.
Rental Car
Chicago is a big city, which means that parking downtown can be costly. If you intend to rent a car, be sure to factor parking rates into your budget. There is no charge to park at MxD.