MD&M Midwest 2025, an MD&M Event

October 21–22, 2025
Minneapolis Convention Center
Minneapolis, MN
www.mdmmidwest.com

Welcome to the Heart of Medtech Innovation

Returning to the Minneapolis Convention Center this October, MD&M Midwest 2025 is where the region’s medtech leaders gather to explore, collaborate, and solve the toughest engineering challenges in medical device development. Previously known as Advanced Manufacturing Minneapolis, the event now unifies key industry sectors — medtech, automation, packaging, plastics, and product design — under one umbrella.

Backed by Minnesota’s legacy of healthcare leadership and medtech innovation, this two-day event draws more than 4,000 professionals, including engineers, R&D managers, quality leaders, and sourcing teams. With more than 575 exhibitors, a seven-track technical conference, and over 30 hours of free education, MD&M Midwest has become a central hub for engineers seeking to accelerate innovation while staying compliant and cost-effective.

Whether you’re prototyping a wearable sensor, refining a surgical device, or rethinking sustainable packaging, MD&M Midwest offers a chance to network with like-minded engineers.

KEYNOTE

Beyond Reshoring and Tariffs — What Companies Are Doing Now

October 22

10:15 AM • Engineering Theater

Rosemary Coates, Founder and Executive Director, Reshoring Institute

In this session, Rosemary Coates takes the attendees on a journey through the history of offshoring, reshoring, tariffs, and into the future of manufacturing. Consider the current and future strategies of global manufacturing companies, including where in the world to source and manufacture based on your product profile and the ever-changing geopolitical landscape. Learn what factors are most important to consider in making strategic location decisions and why reshoring may not be the best approach for your products. Coates has been at the forefront of the reshoring movement for a decade. She will challenge you to rethink your global manufacturing strategy.

Midwest Manufacturing Leadership Summit

October 22 • Executive Access Only

This executive-only track is designed for senior-level manufacturing professionals shaping strategic initiatives in medtech. Held in a private setting at the Minneapolis Convention Center, the summit offers powerful thought leadership, peer collaboration, and actionable insights into the future of advanced manufacturing. Topics include:

Transforming traditional operations into digital-first ecosystems.
Cultivating innovation in regulated environments.
ESG and sustainability trends in device manufacturing.
Workforce strategies for a post-automation world.

An exclusive networking breakfast and private cocktail reception are included in the summit.

MUST-SEE SESSIONS

Case Study – Boston Scientific’s AI-Enabled Design Process: Findings from IntelliU’s ALEX Implementation

October 21 9:30 AM • Room 102 E

Aaron Bowser, Senior R&D Manager, Systems Engineering, Boston Scientific

Xiaofan Mai, CEO and Founder, IntelliU LLC

Boston Scientific is exploring the future of medical device design through its strategic evaluation of AI capabilities. In this session, Bowser and Mai will showcase how Boston Scientific’s engineering team is leveraging IntelliU’s ALEX platform to augment and accelerate quality design while navigating the organizational and technical realities of AI adoption. Learn how Boston Scientific is:

Leading the integration of generative AI into regulated medical device design — not just as a tool, but as a cultural transformation.
Redesigning the design process: Partnering human expertise with AI assistant by empowering early adopters and learning from the AI community.
Elevating design efficiencies as well as capabilities through intelligent automation.
Establishing best practices for AI adoption across security, privacy, validation, and budgeting in a compliance-driven environment.

The speakers will share their methodology, challenges, and measurable impacts from deploying ALEX within Boston Scientific’s engineering workflows — demonstrating how AI not only boosts productivity but also elevates design quality. Attendees will gain actionable insights into the future of AI in medtech, including best practices for implementation and scaling AI-driven engineering.

AI in Action: Smarter Supplier Management with GenAI Agents

October 21

9:30 AM • Room 102D

Kamal K. Nanjundeshaiah, Sr. Manager Quality Assurance, Software Medical Devices, Pfizer

Santosh Kumar Suggu, Manufacturing Quality Manager, N/A

In this session, Nanjundeshaiah and Suggu explore the integration of generative AI (GenAI) into supplier management processes and how it presents a powerful opportunity for organizations in regulated industries to streamline operations, improve compliance, and enhance decision-making. This session introduces a structured, system-thinking approach, mapping key supplier management activities to practical GenAI applications.

Key supplier management processes include quality agreement documentation, supplier onboarding, incoming quality inspections, supplier performance monitoring, issue resolution, and audit management. Within each area, targeted GenAI solutions such as document summarization agents, compliance reference tools, automated risk profiling, adaptive inspection strategies, predictive analytics, root cause analysis assistants, and automated audit preparations can be adopted.

These AI-driven tools can address common challenges like reducing manual workload, ensuring regulatory compliance, and accelerating decision-making. By embedding AI into critical workflows, organizations can shift from reactive management to proactive, insight-driven supplier management.

The second half of the session will demonstrate a practical use case focusing on AI-enabled supplier performance monitoring. Participants will observe how AI can track supplier metrics, assign performance scores, detect trends, and flag emerging risks. The demo will highlight user-friendliness, seamless system integration, and the tangible benefits. This session will offer both practical insights and real-world strategies seeking to modernize supplier oversight and explore the transformative impact of AI in regulated environments.

Panel — Trends in Electronic Medical Devices for 2025 & Beyond

October 21

12:30 PM • Medtech Theater

Graham Kilshaw, CEO, Lectrix

This panel brings together a cross-section of voices in medical electronics to analyze the five most significant trends reshaping medical devices today. Panelists will go beyond trendspotting to reveal the market forces, technological advancements, and clinical imperatives driving these changes. The discussion will include how electronic components are being redesigned for flexibility, how edge AI is replacing cloud-only solutions, and how design teams are integrating software and hardware earlier than ever in the development cycle.

Key Takeaways:

Market insights fueling next-gen remote care platforms.
What engineers must know about AI’s role in diagnostics.
Redesigning electronics for extreme form-factor constraints.
How hospital infrastructure investments impact design requirements.
Forecasting the 2026–2028 evolution of medical electronics.

Digital Twins, Real Results: Smarter Analytics for Every Factory

October 21

2:15 PM • Engineering Theater

Vivek Saxena, Founder, Factory Twin

Utilizing data and advanced analytics to compete on cost, quality, and delivery are fast becoming table stakes in today’s advanced manufacturing industry. Achieving double-digit shop KPI improvements is routine with today’s data analytics tools. Saxena will discuss the current state of factory data analytics, including digital twins, and the underlying data integrity challenges. He will touch upon the adoption barriers for shops, especially contract manufacturers and small and medium manufacturers in embracing data-driven production and how to overcome them.

A data-driven factory is one where factory personnel know what data they own, how much trust they have in that data, have standardized data collection and archival methods, followed by an intuitive and simple analytics tool that allows predictive and prescriptive analytics. They have improvement opportunities at their fingertips and can track benefits from each improvement project in a closed loop manner.

Digital twin technology enables a transparent and cross functional approach to running a factory in an efficient manner. We will demonstrate a few use cases that will exhibit how weeks or months of traditional shop data analysis can be now achieved with the push of a button.

Saxena will also give case studies from high mix/low volume manufacturers where digitalization has resulted in huge benefits (16 percent throughput increase, 30 percent cash flow improvement etc.)

Design & Development of Medical Devices — Intelligent Aging-In-Place

October 21

2:30 PM • MedTech Theater

Fred Sklenar, CEO, Kablooe Design

How do we design healthcare solutions that allow people to age in place with autonomy, dignity, and safety? In this session, veteran designer Fred Sklenar will explore the growing convergence of aging demographics, home-based healthcare delivery, and digital medical technology. He’ll walk through case studies and industry research that show how smart devices — including robotics, AI-enabled monitors, and ambient sensors — are being integrated into everyday home life for seniors. From medication management to mobility aids and real-time alert systems, the session will examine how industrial design and human factors engineering can bridge the gap between medical-grade performance and user-friendly consumer experiences.

Key Takeaways:

Identifying device opportunities within the home care ecosystem.
Designing for trust, simplicity, and emotional safety.
Humanizing robotics and automation for eldercare.
Overcoming regulatory, safety, and power challenges.
The future of intelligent aging-in-place solutions.

Sklenar will also discuss how Kablooe Design’s research has revealed emotional “pain points” in aging that can be solved with better design — offering a roadmap to engineer devices that improve both independence and quality of life for older adults.

Small Wonders: How Tiny Technology Is Transforming Patient Care

October 21 3:15 PM • Room 103A

Bill Tischer, Electrical, Software, and Systems Engineering, Phillips-Medisize

Welcome to the next generation of healthcare, where medical devices are becoming smaller, smarter, and more efficient than ever before. Thanks to groundbreaking advancements in technology, we’re entering an era where tiny tech is making a big impact on health. Consider continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), devices that are getting smaller and smarter thanks to microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). These devices are now smaller and more discreet, making them more comfortable and user-friendly for those who rely on them daily. With minimization and application-specific electronic packaging (ASEP), we’re harnessing advanced technologies that are transforming healthcare. Innovative manufacturing techniques are reshaping how these devices are made.

In this session, Tischer will explore how integrating electronics directly into the device casing enable developers to streamline the production process and enhance efficiency. This means devices are not just getting smaller; they’re also becoming more sophisticated, ready to meet the demands of modern healthcare. As we embrace these technological advancements, the future looks brighter for patients and healthcare providers alike. With tiny yet powerful devices at our disposal, we’re poised to deliver more personalized and effective care than ever before, ensuring better health outcomes and empowering patients to live their lives to the fullest.

How Medical Manufacturers Can Lead with AI & 3D Printing

October 22

9:30 AM • Room 102D

Pavan Muzumdar, COO, Automation Alley

We’re entering a new era of medical manufacturing, where the convergence of artificial intelligence, 3D printing, and advanced digital tools is accelerating innovation, personalization, and agility. But the path forward isn’t driven by technology alone — it demands visionary leadership, strategic thinking, and a willingness to embrace change.

In this session, Muzumdar shares how AI and additive manufacturing are transforming the way medical devices are designed, produced, and delivered. Drawing from real-world outcomes from Automation Alley’s Project DIAMOnD network and insights from its Integr8 roundtable series, Pavan will present practical strategies for integrating these technologies into regulated, fast-moving production environments.

Through compelling case studies and actionable insights, attendees will learn how to future-proof their operations, rethink legacy systems, and adopt additive manufacturing as a strategic capability—not just a technical enhancement. This session will provide a clear roadmap for leveraging smart manufacturing to improve patient outcomes, increase supply chain resilience, and build long-term competitive advantage.