The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is launching a new conference focused on accelerating sustainable industrial transformation. The inaugural ASME CATALYZE summit, set for June 17-18, 2026, in Detroit, will bring together engineers, investors, and industry leaders to address the urgent challenges and opportunities of the next industrial revolution. Co-produced by ASME with Constructive, an independent nonprofit reshaping collaboration across energy and climate ecosystems, the two-day event will take place at Newlab Detroit and The Station at Michigan Central.
ASME CATALYZE is designed to connect the engineers who solve problems with the organizations and leaders who scale solutions, bridging the gap between breakthrough technologies and real-world industrial buildout. As nations rebuild manufacturing bases, power demand surges, and artificial intelligence redefines competition, the summit aims to catalyze action on decarbonization, resilience, and innovation — issues at the heart of a multi-trillion dollar global opportunity.
“ASME CATALYZE is not a traditional conference — it’s an interactive, execution-focused convening,” said ASME Executive Director/CEO Tom Costabile. “We’re assembling the community that will shape the next industrial revolution, leveraging ASME’s 145 years of engineering leadership to move promising, sustainable technologies and partnerships from talk to action.”
Key focus areas for the summit include engineering to meet rising energy demand, advancing industrial decarbonization, and unleashing advanced manufacturing technologies. Cross-cutting themes will address workforce development, standards, finance, AI and digital transformation, policy, and resilience planning.
The summit’s program will feature interactive sessions, roundtables, workshops, and demonstrations that tackle tough questions around issues such as affordability, risk, standardization, and speed of deployment of new industrial technologies. Participants are expected from among ASME’s global network of 75,000 engineers and technologists, as well as industry certifiers, entrepreneurs, investors, and policy makers, all working to deploy scalable solutions for energy, manufacturing, and workforce transformation.
Detroit, long recognized as the historic engine of American industry, is undergoing a renaissance in manufacturing and innovation. By hosting CATALYZE at Michigan Central, ASME signals its commitment to fostering tangible progress in a city now serving as a laboratory for industrial reinvention.
“There is no better place to shape the next industrial revolution than Michigan Central, where we are bridging Detroit’s heritage of making with the technologies that will define a sustainable future,” said Michigan Central COO Carolina Pluszczynski. “We are excited to welcome the inaugural ASME CATALYZE summit and leaders across industries to not only be immersed in our innovation ecosystem but also create connections that spark real change.”
For more information, visit https://resources.asme.org/catalyze.
