Panels
Join us at EMA Expo 2025 for three insightful panels that delve into the future of industry and technology. Panels are:
E3 Challenges in Modern Aviation
Our panelists will tackle the most pressing challenges in the aviation industry today and forecast the issues we might encounter over the next five years. Discussions will cover:
- Trends in materials and potential problems
- The flow of requirements between primes, OEMs, equipment vendors, and engineers including what works and what doesn’t
- The role of analysis in workflows and its effectiveness
- Gaps in testing technology, lab capabilities, and availability
Panelists:
Charles is the EMC Lead at BETA Technologies, where he oversees all EMC processes, including design, certification, and testing activities. With a solid background in power electronics and holding a commercial pilot certificate, Charles bridges the gap between electrical engineering and aircraft design. His work focuses on optimizing the electrical performance of on-board systems while minimizing weight, ensuring BETA’s electric aircraft meet stringent safety and performance standards with maximum efficiency.
Dr. Cong Li is currently a Principal Engineer at GE Aerospace Research, Niskayuna, NY, USA. His research interests include aviation high density power electronics systems, and EMI mitigation techniques. He is currently leading multiple flight demo EMC projects at GE Research. He has authored more than dozens of technical papers, and patent applications in the area of power electronics and EMC.
Jeff Spencer is an electrical engineer with six years of experience at Lockheed Martin specializing in EMI/EMC design and analysis. In his role at Lockheed Martin, he has worked on a wide range of challenging projects, including the design and analysis of systems for several fixed wing and rotary wing platforms. He increasingly uses electromagnetics solvers to aid in design analysis. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in electrical engineering with a focus in electromagnetics from Arizona State University.
Next Generation Naval Technology
This panel will highlight the Navy’s new focus areas and the crucial role you and your company play. Key topics include:
- Technological challenges and innovative solutions
- Meeting workforce needs for upcoming programs
- Industry trends reshaping the way we work
Advanced Optics and Manufacturing
Explore the groundbreaking technologies in optics and manufacturing. Our local experts will discuss:
- What’s driving Massachusetts’ interest in this technology
- Unique aspects of the state’s involvement
- Future opportunities for the state
EMA and UMass Amherst are part of a joint project to support the development and use of metalens. Learn more about we’re rethinking optics here.
Panelists:
David Allen is the Owner and President of Sinicon Plastics. Sinicon Plastics is a plastic manufacturing company that produces part using molding, tooling, and machining equipment techniques for use in medical, military, aerospace, and industrial applications. After buying the company is 1989, David has grown the business from seven employees to fourty-five, from being in a 5,000 sq. ft. textile mill to a 35,000 sq. ft. facility with more than 20 machines.
Doug recently retired as an advisor to the Cash Program at the Federal Reserve Board where he supported initiatives related to the US Currency program. Doug is also the principal owner of the New Dalton Group, a business development consultancy, which he founded following a thirty-year career at Crane & Co. During his career at Crane & Co., Doug spent the bulk of his time on the development and supply of high security products, overseeing multiple government contracts, and managing multiple process and product development programs, including the redesign of the US $100 bill containing a novel, micro-optic security technology. Doug is a member of the board at the Berkshire Innovation Center, and the Berkshire Museum, and an advisor to the Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Institute. He also acts as an advisor to several start-up companies. Doug holds a BS in Biomedical Engineering from Brown University, an MS in Paper Chemistry from the Institute of Paper Science and Technology and an MBA from the Sloan School at MIT.
Ben Sosne is the Executive Director of the Berkshire Innovation Center (BIC), which serves as a catalyst to spark innovation and sustainable growth of technology-enabled companies in Western Massachusetts. Since 2019, he has overseen all operations of the organization, including the construction and opening of the Innovation Center in 2020 and the launch of all initial programming.
Sosne, a Berkshire County native, previously spent many years as a Principal Court Attorney for the New York State Appellate Division in Brooklyn before returning to the Berkshires with his family to work on regional economic development initiatives. He holds a BA from Columbia University and a JD from Pace University School of Law and is a member bar in both Massachusetts and New York. He resides in Williamstown with his wife Amy and their school-aged children, Jack, Ruby and Henry.
