Advancing manufacturing for a circular and sustainable future

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ISM at a Glance

$55M+ Research Funding

20+ Faculty & Researchers

200+ Industry & Gov. Partners

35+ Countries Collaborated

100+ Graduate Students Trained

30+ Years of Impact

Research for Next Generation Sustainable Manufacturing

Advanced Manufacturing and Surface Engineering Laboratory

Brazing, Soldering and Heat Exchangers Research Laboratory

Manufacturing Systems and Supply Chain Research Laboratory

Next Generation Additive Manufacturing Research Laboratory

Sustainable Machining Research Laboratory

Sustainable Operations Management Research Laboratory

Welding Research Laboratory

Research Collaborations and Areas of Excellence

View recent external collaboration from the last 5 years on a country level.

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Latest from ISM

Prof. Outeiro Delivers William Maxwell Reed Seminar

Last week, we were pleased to host Prof. Jose C. M. Outeiro (UNC Charlotte) at the University of Kentucky. He delivered a William Maxwell Reed Seminar organized in collaboration with the UK Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) on "Predicting Surface Integrity in Real Time: The Foundation for Digital Twins and Human-in-the-Loop Autonomous Manufacturing” and engaged in discussions with ISM/ MAE faculty on future research opportunities. He also toured ISM laboratories and met with our students for an insightful exchange on advanced manufacturing research topics. Thank you, Prof. Outeiro, for sharing your expertise and helping strengthen connections between our institutions. We look forward to future collaborations!

22nd Global Conference on Sustainable Manufacturing (GCSM)

Celebrating ISM's Strong Presence at the Global Conference on Sustainable Manufacturing (GCSM)! The Institute for Sustainable Manufacturing (ISM) at the University of Kentucky is proud to have played a significant role in the recent 22nd Global Conference on Sustainable Manufacturing (GCSM), one of the premier and longest-running conferences dedicated to advancing sustainable manufacturing research, education, and industry engagement, held September 23-25, 2026 in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Badurdeen named director of Institute for Sustainable Manufacturing

Fazleena Badurdeen, Ph.D., Earl Parker Robinson Chair Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and director of the graduate certificate in manufacturing systems engineering, has been named the director of the Institute for Sustainable Manufacturing (ISM) in the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering.

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