May 5, 2026
update
Apple Manufacturing Academy brings together hundreds of U.S. manufacturers to advance the use of AI in the U.S. supply chain
Apple Manufacturing Academy hosted hundreds of manufacturers at its inaugural Spring Forum in East Lansing, Michigan. The Academy’s largest event in history brought together U.S. manufacturers, industry leaders, and Michigan State University (MSU) scholars to highlight one of the program’s most tangible outcomes: how U.S. companies are using what they learn from Apple Manufacturing Academy to transform their operations.
That transformation is already underway at Block Imaging, a Michigan-based company that services and refurbishes medical imaging equipment such as CT scanners and MRI machines that power healthcare providers across the country. Block Imaging, an Apple Manufacturing Academy participant, invited forum participants to take an interactive tour of its facility so they could see first-hand how the company applied learnings from the program to modernize operations and improve factory floor efficiency.
“We wanted to bring advanced manufacturing technology to American manufacturers, so we partnered with the state of Michigan to create the Apple Manufacturing Academy,” Priya Balasubramaniam, Apple’s vice president of product operations, told attendees at the forum. “Our goal was to create real-world applications that help companies increase productivity and efficiency. We are excited to see Block Imaging and the other participating companies leverage what we learned at the Academy to deliver great results.”
“We are proud to welcome Spring Forum participants to our facility and share what we have been building here,” said Katie Runyon, Director of Technical Training at Block Imaging. “Apple Manufacturing Academy has a direct impact on how we operate. The training we receive from Apple engineers and Michigan experts has given our team practical tools and techniques that can be applied immediately in the field, improving the way we work and the quality of what we deliver to healthcare providers. We come back again and again because this program continues to move us forward.”
Block Imaging was one of four stops on an off-site tour that included the MSU Rare Isotope Beam Facility, Peckham, and the MSU Dairy Cattle Education and Research Center. These visits mirrored the theme running throughout the first day of the forum, held on MSU’s campus, with speakers from McKinsey, Magna, Lightguide, Medtronic, and other industry leaders covering topics ranging from the role of physical AI on the factory floor to overcoming the challenges of implementing AI solutions at scale. The day ended with a poster session featuring MSU students and small business participants to introduce the next generation of manufacturing innovators.
The forum also featured a fireside conversation between Balasubramaniam and Michigan State University President Kevin M. Guskiewicz. The conversation touched on how AI is transforming everyday manufacturing operations, the skills workers and students need to succeed in an AI-enabled economy, and why Apple and Michigan’s partnership is central to preparing the next generation of U.S. manufacturing.
Launched last year as part of Apple’s $600 billion commitment to the United States, the Apple Manufacturing Academy is a free program that brings Apple engineers and MSU experts together with small and medium-sized U.S. businesses to help them adopt AI and smart manufacturing technologies. It is the only manufacturing academy in North America and is open to companies from across the country. To date, the Academy has supported more than 150 American companies through dozens of free in-person training sessions and recently launched virtual programming to further expand that support.
To learn more about Apple Manufacturing Academy or to register for virtual programming, businesses can visit manufacturingacademy.msu.edu.
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