The Future of Manufacturing Is Here — Smart Engineering, AI & Workforce Readiness | Thorston Wuest

Peggy Smedley sits down on location with Dr. Thorston Wuest, Director of the USE Center for Industry Solutions and Professor of Industrial Engineering at the University of South Carolina, for a wide-ranging conversation on what the future of work really looks like — not in theory, but in practice. From building USC's brand-new industrial engineering program from the ground up, to partnering with Scout Motors, Mercedes, and BMW, Thornton shares how he's preparing the next generation of engineers to solve real-world manufacturing challenges from day one. In this episode: Why USC launched an industrial engineering program now — and how it's already growing 40%+ per year The Center for Industry Solutions: bridging students with industry through hands-on consulting teams Why AI in manufacturing is harder than it looks (hint: bad data is the real problem) How to reduce employee onboarding time and retention challenges through university-industry partnerships The student story that changed how Thorston thinks about teaching What South Carolina's manufacturing boom means for the future of U.S. industry Whether you're a student, engineer, educator, or industry leader, this conversation will challenge how you think about innovation, workforce development, and the real future of smart manufacturing. 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every Thursday 📺 Live every Tuesday at 12PM Central 🌐 connectedworld.com | peggysmedleyshow.com 🐦 X: @ConnectedWorld | LinkedIn & YouTube: Peggy Smedley Show SmartManufacturing #IndustrialEngineering #FutureOfWork #AI #Manufacturing #UniversityOfSouthCarolina #PeggySmedleyShow #Workforce #Innovation #ConnectedWorld