Wichita, Kansas, has long been a crucible for industrial innovation. In the 1920s, its expansive fields provided the space for runways and hangars that fueled the birth of the American aviation industry. Over decades, the city attracted entrepreneurs, engineers, and investors, earning the title “Air Capital of the World.” Today, Wichita ranks first nationally in manufacturing jobs as a share of total employment and third in the proportion of jobs classified as “very high‑tech.”
The latest chapter in this legacy is The Smart Factory @ Wichita, a 60,000‑square‑foot immersive experience center designed to demonstrate advanced manufacturing technologies in a live, operational environment. Led by Deloitte and located on Wichita State University’s Innovation Campus, the facility is connected to the university’s smart grid and integrates on‑site renewable energy generation. Operating at net‑zero energy consumption, it incorporates wind trees, solar assets, and smart lighting to showcase sustainable manufacturing.
Expected to host more than 5,000 visitors in its first year, the center offers more than 50 use cases for smart manufacturing, covering robotics, automation, supply chain visibility, and intelligent enterprise systems. Darcy MacClaren, senior vice president of Digital Supply Chain and Industry 4.0 for SAP North America, described the experience as unparalleled: “The Smart Factory @ Wichita is a truly unique experience for visitors to envision how Industry 4.0 can drive value for their business. I cannot emphasize the value of the real-life experience strongly enough. The immersion in the live production environment allows visitors to experience smart manufacturing concepts in a way that’s not possible through standard conversations or presentations.”
The timing of the launch reflects broader shifts in global manufacturing. Supply chain disruptions and pandemic‑driven pressures have accelerated a trend toward deglobalization, with companies seeking to diversify production and bring manufacturing closer to home. Automation and digital transformation are increasingly seen as essential to maintaining competitiveness in this environment. Stephen Laaper, principal and smart factory leader at Deloitte Consulting LLP, noted, “While there’s recognition in the industry that the evolution to true end-to-end smart manufacturing is a must-have in today’s ever-shifting environment, at the same time, it is challenging for an organization to put the necessary complex architecture in place on its own. In response, we saw a huge opportunity to convene an ecosystem of world-class solution and technology providers and bring together the Internet of Things, cloud, artificial intelligence, computer vision, and more under one roof at The Smart Factory @ Wichita.”
At the core of the facility’s operations is SAP S/4HANA, an intelligent enterprise cloud solution that integrates manufacturing and asset management with supply chain planning. Visitors can observe advanced robotics in action, from shop‑floor systems to robot coffee baristas, and explore how digital solutions enable seamless production. SAP’s RISE program offers transformation‑as‑a‑service, supporting the migration to cloud‑based intelligent enterprises capable of running smart manufacturing solutions end‑to‑end.
Beyond industrial demonstrations, The Smart Factory @ Wichita has a mission rooted in education and community impact. In partnership with Elenco Electronics, it produces components for Smart Rover Kits made entirely from 100% recycled polyethylene terephthalate sourced locally. These kits are distributed to schools, with initial donations reaching 1,000 middle school students in Metro Detroit, Philadelphia, and Wichita. The initiative aims to engage 800,000 students nationwide over four years, focusing on empowering underrepresented groups in STEM through Deloitte’s Smart Factory Believers Program.
The facility also serves as a hands‑on learning environment for Wichita State University students, addressing the manufacturing skills gap identified in Deloitte’s report, which warns that 2 million of nearly 3.5 million manufacturing jobs could go unfilled. Dr. Rick Muma, president of Wichita State University, emphasized the mutual benefits: “We’re building traction as an emerging leader in the field of digital transformation; and trailblazers — like Deloitte — are taking notice that Wichita State’s research and expertise give them a competitive edge. And our students benefit from the applied learning opportunities that they’ll gain at The Smart Factory @ Wichita. As Deloitte professionals educate the workforce of tomorrow, Shocker students train side-by-side with experts in the fields of smart manufacturing, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, and robotics.”