The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Connected Systems Institute, as part of Microsoft’s $3.3 billion investment in southeast Wisconsin, will house the nation’s first manufacturing-focused AI Co-Innovation Lab.
The lab will strengthen 51ÁÔĆć’s education and research mission while connecting Wisconsin manufacturers and other companies with Microsoft’s artificial intelligence experts and developers.
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Connected Systems Institute (CSI), a leader in industrial IoT (IIoT) research, in partnership with , a pioneering SaaS network visualization platform, announces a strategic collaboration aimed at enhancing IIoT integration, monitoring and analysis. This partnership is set to showcase the potential of digital twin technology within industrial settings, leveraging EyeOTmonitor’s state-of-the-art platform.
This initiative will use EyeOTmonitor’s topology and geospatial mapping capabilities to provide comprehensive real-time-monitoring, management, and visualization of a diverse range of network devices, including routers, switches, firewalls, PLCs, cameras, etc. from various vendors, within the CSI lab’s environment. This allows CSI to monitor in real time activity and performance metrics of their manufacturing test bed, digital twin, industrial data center, and their private 5G wireless network, saving time in managing the devices and troubleshooting any network issues. This also allows faculty and students from the College of Engineering & Applied Science (CEAS) and the Lubar College of Business to perform research and test use cases related to predictive maintenance, cyber security, remote monitoring, and others.
Kirill Sokolinsky, COO/CPO of EyeOTmonitor, expresses enthusiasm about the collaboration: “Partnering with the University of Milwaukee-Wisconsin’s CSI represents a significant milestone in our journey to redefine IIoT monitoring practices. Our platform’s flexibility in managing a broad spectrum of network devices highlights the critical role of real-time data in enhancing industrial network efficiency, performance, and security.”
The CSI team is not only excited to use this software to manage the multitude of devices located at CSI, but also to share this capability with our members, faculty, and students through potential research, use cases, or student projects. CSI’s Executive Director Joe Hamann commented, “The use of smart and connected devices in manufacturing is expected to accelerate over the next five years and, with its unique array of connected devices, CSI represents an ideal proving ground for EyeOTmonitor’s network monitoring innovations. CSI’s partnership with EyeOTmonitor will create opportunities to share the operational impact that secure device access and control have on IT / OT efficiencies. This knowledge of path to operational impact aligns well with CSI’s efforts to enable an industry ecosystem that is informed to leverage Industry 4.0 technologies to solve real business challenges.”
Avi Shaked, CEO of EyeOTmonitor, is an alum of 51ÁÔĆć’s College of Engineering & Applied Science. Avi and his wife, Babs Waldman, MD, have supported scholarships at both the college and the Lubar Entrepreneurship Center in the past.
The partnership not only demonstrates EyeOTmonitor’s commitment to advancing IIoT but also emphasizes its adaptability across different sectors, including smart cities and transportation. EyeOTmonitor aids in managing complex networks, catering to the specific needs of Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and Systems Integrators (SIs), ensuring optimal performance across various industries.
Launched in 2017, CSI’s mission is to enable the manufacturing workforce of the future and accelerate economic development through education, technology transfer, and Industry X.0 & AI knowledge leadership.​ A robust educational platform includes individual and custom courses as well as degree programs offered through the College of Engineering & Applied Science and Lubar College of Business. CSI offers a range of technologies that create an end-to-end solution for a SMART Manufacturing Facility and allow for industry informed use-cases that span the manufacturing value chain and accelerate the path to business impact​. To learn more or to get involved contact Joe Hamann, Executive Director at jahamann@uwm.edu.
Established in 2017, EyeOTmonitor leads in IIoT innovation, offering comprehensive solutions for network device management and visualization. Beyond industrial applications, EyeOTmonitor excels in supporting smart cities, leveraging topological and geospatial mapping to visualize routers, switches, firewalls, cameras, and other city assets. The platform’s robust capabilities extend to monitoring the geolocation of transportation fleets, including buses and trains, alongside critical assets like onboard cameras, facilitating enhanced security and operational efficiency for urban environments and transportation customers.
EyeOTmonitor and CSI Partner to Drive Industrial IoT Forward
COVINGTON, Ky., February 6, 2024 — STEP, Where Innovation Meets Execution, is pleased to officially announce a new strategic partnership with the Connected Systems Institute (CSI), a center of excellence at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (51ÁÔĆć) that enables the manufacturing workforce of the future and drives regional economic growth and competitiveness through education, deployment of advanced manufacturing solutions, and strengthened regional industry ecosystem.
“Bringing our wireless expertise in 5G, private cellular networks, and traditional networking to advance the vision in smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0 developed by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Connected Systems Institute is an incredible opportunity that we’re excited about,” said Ed Walton, CEO of STEP. “Accelerating innovation is in our DNA and partnering in the facilitation of digital transformation for manufacturers will enable new use cases and real business outcomes.”
“The Connected Systems Institute is a powerful partnership linking industry and academia. CSI plays a critical role in Wisconsin and beyond to drive economic growth and competitiveness by accelerating advanced manufacturing innovation and developing a highly skilled workforce of the future. STEP has proven to be a valuable partner, and with our aligned focus on innovation, there’s much we can accomplish as we move forward together,” said Joe Hamann, CSI’s executive director.
CSI launched in November 2017 to solve real-world problems with industrial automation in commercial applications while also helping 51ÁÔĆć students develop necessary skillsets to succeed in the industry.
About STEP:
STEP is a highly innovative, award-winning, nationwide IT services engineering firm specializing in 5G, traditional networking, and security solutions powered by strategic experts that guide their clients through complex IT challenges. STEP was founded in 2014 and has become one of the fastest-growing technology firms in the Midwest. Their portfolio enables enterprises with solutions for wireline, wireless, cellular, cloud, security, collaboration, and managed services. STEP is a privately held company headquartered in Covington, Kentucky. STEP is where innovation meets execution. For more information, visit or follow on , , and .
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Press Release: Microsoft has given $1.2 million to the 51ÁÔĆć Foundation to support the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Connected Systems Institute.
The gift will be used to educate and expand Wisconsin’s talent pipeline for Industry 4.0 manufacturing, which allows small and medium manufacturers to integrate new technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, into their production process. This is the second major gift from Microsoft to CSI; the company gave $1.5 million in 2019.
“We at 51ÁÔĆć are so grateful to Microsoft for their continued support of the Connected Systems Institute,” 51ÁÔĆć Chancellor Mark Mone said. “This gift allows us to expand innovation among Wisconsin manufacturers through the adoption of Industry 4.0 and AI technologies and to meet the ever-increasing demand for a highly skilled workforce. Together, we are advancing the economic growth of our region.”
51ÁÔĆć launched the Connected Systems Institute in 2017, making the institute the first of its kind in Wisconsin. CSI provides opportunities for industry partners to work together with faculty and student researchers from 51ÁÔĆć and other collaborating universities to develop advanced manufacturing processes. In addition to Microsoft, industry partners include Rockwell Automation, We Energies, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, Revere Electric, Fortinet, Brady, Heartland Business Systems and UScellular.
CSI features a state-of-the-art lab with a fully functional manufacturing cell that utilizes advanced systems, such as AI, robotics and operational-technology cybersecurity. In addition, the institute provides several educational tracks for undergraduates, graduate students, professionals and executives.
The institute was developed with input from key industry partners, including Microsoft Chief AI Officer Balamurugan Balakreshnan. “CSI is playing a pivotal role in pushing technological advances in the manufacturing sector,” Balakreshnan said. “I recently participated in several AI workshops at CSI. These provide invaluable opportunities to understand AI and its potential to revolutionize the manufacturing sector. For example, CSI recently completed research on an AI vision system and deployed the CSI Factory GPT, an AI chatbot that assists manufacturers on the shop floor in accessing information quickly, saving them time and increasing efficiency as well as safety. CSI, with the help of Microsoft, has moved rapidly into the AI space with the hopes of providing tangible technology solutions to manufacturers.”
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella graduated from 51ÁÔĆć’s College of Engineering & Applied Science in 1990 with a master’s degree in computer science.
MILWAUKEE _ Joe Hamann, an engineering and technology leader with diverse experience across the value chain, has been named executive director of the Connected Systems Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
In this role, Hamann will partner with Wisconsin industries with the goal of creating the workforce of the future in advanced manufacturing.
“I’m fascinated with everything that is industry 4.0,” Hamann said. “And I’m anxious to have the opportunity to transfer innovation in advanced manufacturing to industry. When I think about my career, the one common theme – and my biggest passion – is making people stronger.”
Launched in 2017, the Connected Systems Institute brings together 51ÁÔĆć faculty and student researchers and industry members to develop advanced manufacturing processes using the testbed production line at an 11,000-square-feet facility on the 51ÁÔĆć campus.
Connected systems refers to the use of artificial intelligence, streaming data on the Industrial Internet of Things, and automated robotics to improve factory efficiencies and inform strategic decision making.
Support for the executive director position was provided by the institute’s founding partner, Rockwell Automation.
“We are thrilled to partner with 51ÁÔĆć to bring Dr. Hamann to the institute,” said Kyle Crum, Rockwell Automation’s Director of Advanced Technology. “His skills, experience and passion will be an asset for the entire industry. We’re looking forward to continued collaboration.”
Hamann, with educational background in materials engineering, comes to the position with 17 years of experience, where he held roles of increasing responsibility across R&D and engineering, most recently serving as senior director of engineering for the Industrial Components Division. While at Regal Rexnord, Hamann initiated the introduction of additive manufacturing and developed the company’s early-career engineering leadership development program.
More recently his experience evolved into global engineering team leadership, with responsibilities spanning innovation, sustaining engineering and continuous process improvement. A Milwaukee native, Hamann earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in materials engineering at UW-Madison and a master’s in business administration at 51ÁÔĆć.
Under his leadership, Hamann said, the institute will work with industry to help them identify problems that advanced manufacturing can solve and provide training to prepare their workforce for the rapid acceleration of advanced manufacturing technology.
“Many of these companies are poised to recognize the existing improvement opportunities that could be addressed with the tools from CSI,” he said, “These are tools that will have the greatest effect on improvement and efficiency across the operation.”
Besides Rockwell Automation, there are five other CSI industry members – Fortinet, UScellular, Brady Corp., Heartland Business Systems and Revere Electric. Another 11 companies are collaborators on various projects at the institute.
For more information, contact Casey O’Brien, caseyo@uwm.edu, 414-251-8767.
CSI’s graduate student worker, Shamar Webster (M.S. in Computer Science) highlights the institute’s impact on the future workforce through training and innovation. This Spectrum News interview features both Webster and Joe Zaccaria demonstrating the abilities of CSI’s digital twin and manufacturing test bed.
UScellular is contributing a private cellular network that includes 5G technology to expand the capabilities of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s manufacturing research facility, called the Connected Systems Institute (CSI). Read the 51ÁÔĆć Report article.
As the gender ratio in STEM has remained imbalanced for years, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (51ÁÔĆć) is one of many academic institutions implementing female-focused programs in STEM subjects. For the last decade, 51ÁÔĆć has hosted the EnQuest summer program for female high school students, and last summer EnQuest integrated simulation through the to enable students to explore real-life patient case studies. In addition to a week-long project, students are introduced to career engineers at off-site networking events and brought to visit nearby labs, including 51ÁÔĆć’s Connected Systems Institute. Read the article .
With skilled labor shortages on the horizon for many manufacturers, Rockwell Automation and Cisco are collaborating with the University of Wisconsin to nurture a more automation-savvy workforce. The University of Wisconsin’s Connected Systems Institute (CSI) is just one example of a collaboration between academia and industry designed in this mold.
See the full article.
Digital transformation is fueling the fourth industrial revolution. To compete effectively, manufacturers must switch from static to dynamic operations by harnessing the power of artificial intelligence, robotics, cloud computing, supply chain technology, and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). To do so, manufacturers need workers capable of using these technologies—but there is a critical shortage of these skillsets.
Learn how the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee partnered with Cisco and Rockwell to launch The Connected Systems Institute—a center of excellence in next-generation manufacturing. Read the full study on site.