The pandemic has impacted society profoundly and changed lives for good. It’s forced businesses to pivot and inspired engineers to accelerate innovation to fight COVID-19 and save lives – from ventilators and respirators to face shields and door handles. The crisis also served as a reminder that most innovations are designed to help people and planet.
Now that we’ve experienced critical products being created and manufactured within weeks, while working remotely, what does it mean for the product development and manufacturing industry?
Join PTC’s Jon Hirschtick and Formlabs Max Lobovsky as they discuss challenges and opportunities for engineers and the industry.
Maxim is a Co-founder of Formlabs and a graduate of the MIT Media Lab, where he was a researcher in the Center for Bits and Atoms. Maxim has a skill set that spans across disciplines including materials science, mechanical engineering, and software. Prior to MIT, he was part of the Cornell Creative Machines Lab at Cornell University. There, as the project lead for the Fab@Home project--one of the earliest open source 3D printing projects--Maxim led a collaboration with industry partners to redesign a novel fabrication machine. While at Cornell, Maxim also developed a novel low-cost 3D printing process for various metals and ceramics. After he joined the MIT Media Lab, he continued to work on personal fabrication technology with the international FabLab program, and his research focus was on reconfigurable robotics which yielded several papers and patents. Maxim holds a B.S. in Applied Engineering & Physics from Cornell and a M.S. in Media Arts and Sciences from MIT.
A technology pioneer and entrepreneur, Jon Hirschtick is passionate about empowering innovators so they can design products that positively impact society and the planet. He understands the challenges engineers face as they build products for the modern era, as well as the design platforms required to accelerate product innovation in today’s connected world. This insight and market knowledge have allowed Hirschtick to successfully build and sell two companies. He is now the president of PTC’s Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) division. In 2012, Hirschtick launched Onshape -- the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) product development platform. It’s the only product development platform that’s architected for the cloud, enables engineers to design products on-demand, and lets them collaborate in real time -- without being tethered to a machine or device. Onshape was acquired in 2019 by PTC for $470 million. Previously, Hirschtick created SOLIDWORKS, the first desktop 3D CAD (computer-aided design) solution that made 3D design technology accessible to the masses. SOLIDWORKS was acquired by Dassault Systèmes in 1997 for $310 million. Hirschtick holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from MIT and serves on various boards, including Magic Leap and MarkForged. When he is not building companies, Hirschtick entertains customers and peers with magic tricks. In fact, he was a member of the famed MIT Blackjack team, featured in the movies “21” and “The Last Casino.” In his spare time, Hirschtick enjoys playing golf and practicing yoga.
A tech evangelist, Parna Sarkar-Basu serves as a strategic advisor to transformational leaders and technology pioneers, and helps them launch and reinvent companies. Her expertise includes changing industry perception, building market relevance, corporate (re)-positioning and new market entry as well as helping companies raise funds and navigate the digital era. Recipient of multiple awards, Parna has been instrumental in propelling tech companies into innovation leaders in highly competitive markets, including artificial intelligence, enterprise software, storage systems, robots, consulting services and manufacturing. A Forbes contributor, she regularly hosts executive sessions on emerging technologies and frequently speaks on a range of topics, including cognitive robotics, innovation for social good, digital transformation, tech trends and AI and impact on the workforce. A champion of STEM initiatives, Parna builds and supports programs to inspire women in technology and future innovators. She is the V.P. of Brand Marketing for WITI (Women in Technology International) and serves on the board of WITI Boston and American Marketing Association Boston.