The Manufacturing Leadership Council (MLC) announced that three MxD projects and one team member were selected as finalists for 2026 awards for outstanding achievements that enable manufacturing excellence. [View full list of finalists]
“MxD is proud to be recognized by the Manufacturing Leadership Council for our work to strengthen and modernize U.S. manufacturing,” said Clark Dressen, MxD Chief Technology Officer. “This nomination underscores the critical role MxD plays in accelerating the adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies and building a strong manufacturing workforce. Together with our partners, MxD is helping build a more competitive and future-ready industrial base for the United States.”
Below are the MxD projects recognized:
- Project Title: Classification & Remediation of Defects using AI
- Category: Operational Excellence
- Description: MxD partnered with Siemens and M.K. Morse to create an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered inspection system that more accurately identifies defects in the manufacturing process and quickly provides corrective actions – increasing productivity and efficiency on the factory floor. The project fostered collaboration between a major solution provider and a medium-sized manufacturer to illustrate how AI-driven innovation is accessible and scalable across organizations of all sizes.
- Project Title: Cybertown
- Category: Enterprise Integration and Technology
- Description: A 3D-printed representation of an industrial environment – factory, arsenal, shipyard, power plant, rail line and more – that are tied to an IT and OT infrastructure. The testbed environment, located on the MxD Factory Floor, enables users to simulate a cyber-attack, illustrate operational impact and effectively test incident response tools that could be employed in real-world operations.
- Project Title: CAPITAL Program
- Category: Transformational Business Cultures
- Description: The Curriculum and Pathways Integrating Technology and Learning (CAPITAL) program offers virtual on-demand trainings for in-demand jobs in the manufacturing sector, including data annotation, data analytics for manufacturing, pre-metaverse (AR/VR) integration, cybersecurity compliance for supply chain, cybersecurity analytics for small- to medium-sized manufacturers.
In addition, Anthony Dote, MxD Lead Cybersecurity Engineer, Operational Technology, was selected as a finalist in the Next-Generation Leadership category for his work to accelerate manufacturing’s digital era. Dote was the visionary and primary architect behind “Cybertown,” a sophisticated OT security testbed, which also was selected as an MLC award finalist. This project serves as a physical and digital bridge for understanding industrial cyber risks.
“Anthony excels at “translating” complex technical architecture into accessible, high-impact projects that resonate with both engineers and executive leadership. He has championed several initiatives that address critical cybersecurity vulnerabilities within the Operations Technology (OT) domain, a high-stakes area directly impacting modern manufacturing resilience. By bridging the gap between abstract cyber threats and tangible manufacturing use cases, Anthony has redefined how MxD communicates risk to its diverse stakeholders,” the nomination application stated.
MxD will be recognized along with all other award finalists at the Manufacturing Leadership Awards Gala, which will take place on June 24, 2026, at the Fairmont Princess in Scottsdale, Arizona. Winners in all project and individual categories will be announced at that time, along with the Manufacturers of the Year and Manufacturing Leader of the Year.
The gala is the closing event for Rethink: Accelerating Digital Transformation in Manufacturing. Details about the awards are available at https://www.manufacturingleadershipcouncil.com/leadership-awards/.
