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East Hartford, CT—The Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT) is proud to announce Dr. Amy Thompson as Chief Technology Officer (CTO), effective August 25, 2025. A nationally recognized thought leader in systems and manufacturing engineering, Dr. Thompson will lead CCAT’s integrated technology, talent development, and technical training initiatives—delivering transformative services to manufacturers across Connecticut and the Northeast.
“Amy’s expanded role as CTO reflects her exceptional leadership and vision,” said Ron Angelo, President & CEO of CCAT. “Her ability to connect advanced technology with strategic workforce upskilling is exactly what our region needs to stay competitive. This role is instrumental to the strategic future growth of our organization and the success of our partners. This is about building resilience and competitiveness.”
Since joining CCAT in 2023 as Chief Talent & Training Officer, Dr. Thompson has developed and executed high-performing training programs that have redefined how small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) engage with shop floor ready advanced technologies. Her work has earned national recognition and deep trust from industry and academic partners alike.
In her new role, Dr. Thompson will oversee CCAT’s Advanced Technology Center, technology, talent development, and training teams-leading them to become a re-invigorated and unified powerhouse that delivers end-to-end services to manufacturers, supporting their technology adoption journey.
“I’m honored to take on this role and excited to continue building the future at CCAT,” said Dr. Thompson. “At CCAT, we’re creating a dynamic ecosystem that empowers the manufacturing industry to adopt innovative tools faster and more effectively, de-risking technology adoption.”
Dr. Thompson says AI and autonomy are driving the present and future of manufacturing, automating design, manufacturing, and inspection workflows, which can make industry demands for increased staffing occur at feasible levels to continue to grow the manufacturing sector, “CCAT will support manufacturers in adopting new AI, digital twin, and digital thread practices that will create autonomous, adaptive, predictive, and sustainable manufacturing systems.
"Every manufacturer can have a factory of the future today; they can automate many of their technical workflows. CCAT will activate its partners and ecosystem to support these efforts.” —Dr. Amy Thompson
Dr. Thompson holds a Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Rhode Island. She previously served as an Associate Director of the Pratt & Whitney Institute for Advanced Systems Engineering at the University of Connecticut where she led the development and execution of their graduate systems engineering programs. Her research in digital engineering, complex systems, and MBSE has been funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Defense, AFRL, and NIUVT.
Her technical expertise spans model-based systems engineering (MBSE), digital engineering, smart and energy-efficient manufacturing and facilities, supply chain design and operation, and engineering education. She serves on multiple technical advisory boards and industry coalitions, further amplifying CCAT’s mission to accelerate innovation through public-private collaboration.
With Dr. Thompson at the helm of technology, CCAT is poised to deliver even greater value to its partners, empowering them to thrive in a rapidly evolving landscape and advancing its mission across Connecticut and beyond.
