Workforce challenges, industry trends, new technology, and Spokane’s federal tech hub designation will be among the focal points at this year’s I-90 Aerospace+ Corridor Conference & Expo.

The ninth annual conference will be held May 28-29 at The Coeur d’Alene Resort, at 115 S. Second.

The conference, which is organized by the Northwest I-90 Manufacturing Alliance and the Coeur d’Alene Economic Development Corp., is expected to have nearly 300 attendees and about 60 exhibitors this year, says Mark Norton, the executive director of the manufacturing alliance.

“We’re seeing more people from out of the area coming, which is interesting,” says Norton, who adds that the expected attendance total is comparable to last year.

The conference widened its scope last year, he says.

“Last year, we kind of rebranded beyond just aerospace into what we call advanced manufacturing,” says Norton. “We’re going to really have a cross-industry section this year, more so than we have in the past.”

Space and satellite, clean alternative energy, and medical devices are among various examples of advanced manufacturing industries, Norton says.

Expanding the conference to include more industries broadens the audience and brings more value to the region, Norton says. It also makes sense because of the commonalities between them—they're highly regulated, demand a lot of technical expertise, need tight quality control, and need good program management.

The recent tech hub designation is expected to garner a lot of attention at the conference, Norton says.

A proposed advanced aerospace manufacturing center in West Spokane received a federal designation as a “regional technology and innovation hub.”

The proposal, created by a consortium led by Gonzaga University and Lakeside Cos., was one of 31 across the U.S. to receive the designation. Five to 10 of the designated tech hubs will be chosen to receive between $40 million and $70 million in federal funds.

“I think there’s a lot of interest about this from outside the region,” Norton says. “I think the tech hub has increased visibility of manufacturing in our area.”

Norton says he hopes the conference can shine more light on the tech hub designation and potentially attract aerospace or advanced manufacturing companies to set up shop in the region.

“Hopefully, part of what we can do here is expand the people that are aware of it, but also explain a little more about what it is,” Norton says. “I think the better job we can do with that, the more we can get that word out, the more potential we have.”

There’s an economic development opportunity that comes with the tech hub designation that could change the employment landscape here and bring in good jobs, Norton adds.

That economic development opportunity, however, will require workforce-related challenges to be addressed, Norton adds.

“We know we’re just going to have less people,” Norton says. “We’ve got to think about other ways to retain people and upskill them.” 

Wade Larson, the chief human resources officer for Spokane Valley-based manufacturer Wagstaff Inc., will be speaking at the conference about workforce development and challenges facing employers.

“The idea of reaching out to the marketplace and grabbing qualified candidates is not a viable option, especially not in manufacturing and aerospace,” Larson says.

There are more people retiring from manufacturing and trades positions than there are people coming in to fill those roles, Larson explains. Not only are there fewer people available for those roles, but there are fewer people who possess the necessary skills for the jobs.

“This is going to be a multi-generational challenge, where we will continue to have the shortage,” he says. “We also have a talent issue.”

The conference is a good opportunity for employers to network with students and potentially get them interested in pursuing careers in manufacturing or related fields, Larson says.

“It’s also an opportunity to network with the employers and give them solutions to help them adapt and create new mindsets of how to be successful in this new reality,” says Larson.

The tech hub designation will increase the need for more skilled workers in the region, Larson says.

Other speakers at the conference will include representatives from ATC Manufacturing and The Boeing Co., as well as astronaut-in-training Alyssa Carson and Evergreen Bioscience Innovation Cluster executive director Michaele Armstrong.

Norton says he hopes the conference will promote the manufacturing community in the region.

“We’re trying to help regional manufacturers increase their capabilities and their operational excellence, and also to build relationships and strengthen the manufacturing community in the region,” says Norton.

The I-90 Aerospace Corridor is located along Interstate 90 from Central Washington to Central Montana. It is an integrated network of over 200 companies and organizations in the aerospace industry.