Input Stories

Meet the Organization Shaping Manufacturing R&D

By NAM NewsroomSeptember 3, 2026

How do you know you are getting the most out of your research and development programs? How do you know whether you’re using the best methods or putting the right people to work on the right problems?

Here’s one answer: join the Innovation Research Interchange, the NAM’s innovation division, and send your innovation and R&D leaders to talk with their peers throughout the manufacturing ecosystem. In this neutral, noncompetitive setting, these leaders are free to discuss best practices, help each other advance their capabilities and shape the future of manufacturing innovation.

The IRI: The IRI, which was founded in 1938 and only came under NAM management in 2022, is the best place to connect with innovation leaders in manufacturing.

  • Beyond opening up new opportunities for conversation and collaboration, the IRI also provides professional development at both the individual and team level through workshops, bootcamps and more.
  • It also boasts some of the best research and strategic resources available to innovation leaders—including access to the Research-Technology Management journal, regular analyses of trends in innovation and R&D and an informative podcast on everything from sustainable chemicals development to patent law in the age of AI.

So how should you get involved?

Discuss: Send your innovation leaders to the IRI’s Innovating the Future event, coming up on Dec. 2–3 in Orlando, Florida. The event will focus on emerging technologies, as innovation leaders discuss how their organizations are adopting and improving the latest tools—with AI front and center.

  • Save the date for the IRI’s Innovators Summit on May 19–21, 2027, in Cleveland, Ohio. Innovation, R&D and business leaders will gather to discuss and explore manufacturing R&D’s rapid changes in technology, workforce and much more.

Study: Promising R&D leaders often need some coaching, along with an introduction to other essential business areas, from finance to law, in order to transform into game-changing executives.

  • If you have R&D leaders you want to push to the next level, send them to the IRI’s five-day Shaping Innovation Leaders program on June 14–18, 2027, at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

Listen: Don’t miss the IRI’s stellar lineup of podcasts, webinars and more. Some recent highlights include:

  • A webinar with Albert Director of AI/ML Jonathan Welch covering real-world results from AI usage for R&D; and
  • A recent podcast with Duane Morris partners Brian Pandya and Dan Tarr explaining the intricacies of patent law in the age of AI.

Win: The IRI Innovation Excellence Awards honor influential innovations and individuals in the industry, recognizing the creativity that benefits our society. Stay tuned—nominations for the 2027 awards will open Oct. 1.

What they’re saying: “The IRI has been an invaluable resource for helping us stay ahead of emerging trends and connect with a trusted network of innovation leaders across industries,” said Cargill CTO Florian Schattenmann.

  • “Through IRI, we gain perspectives and relationships that would be difficult to develop anywhere else, making it a critical partner in advancing our innovation strategy.”

Explore: Dive into the IRI’s many offerings on its website.