Overseas Study Seminar I:Seattle Study Tour Report -part4 “VIP Visit to Boeing Everett Factory and the City of Everett”

On February 12, as part of the Overseas Study Seminar I, ABS carried out a VIP visit with program participants to the Boeing Everett Factory and the Everett City Government. At Boeing Everett Factory, we were graciously hosted by Mr Richard Wynne (Director), Mr Scott Gunther (Senior Engineering Manager), Ms Imaan Shaikh (Experienced Visitor Relations Specialist) and Mr Craig Morgan (Safety DOJO Lead). At the City of Everett, we were welcomed by Mr Dan Eernissee (Director) along with representatives from Economic Alliance Snohomish County (Mr Daniel Tappana), Plug and Play Seattle (Mr Momotaro Nakamura), SNBL (Mr Kenichiro Shimokawa), ZT1 Technology (Dr Youcef Abdelli) and Everett Community College (Ms Mayumi Smith). From ABS, Dean Takamichi Hosoda, Associate Professor Yuta Hirose, Assistant Professor David Nichols and Assistant Kayong Kim participated in the visit.

The Boeing Everett Factory, located in Everett, Washington, is one of the largest aircraft assembly facilities in the world (approximately 13.3 million cubic meters in volume). It produces the 747, 767 and 777 aircraft models and supports aircraft manufacturing, production operations, product development, safety management and certification activities. During our visit, we also toured the Safety DOJO, where we were introduced, through discussions with Mr Craig Morgan and his colleagues, to innovative tools and equipment developed in response to real operational challenges and frontline needs. The commitment to continuous improvement grounded in practical knowledge provided valuable insights for our participants.

The City of Everett, located in northwestern Washington State within the Seattle metropolitan area, has developed as a hub for advanced industries, including aerospace. The City Government promotes urban planning, industrial development, educational collaboration and regional economic growth. This visit brought together diverse stakeholders, including major corporations, startups, venture capital representatives and universities, facilitating active discussions on the strengths of the regional ecosystem and future opportunities for collaboration. Everett’s integrated model of industry–government–academia collaboration offered meaningful inspiration to our participants.

We would like to express our sincere appreciation to Boeing Executive Director Michelle Carey, Director Dan Eernissee of the City of Everett and all those involved for their generous support in making this visit highly productive and insightful. We look forward to further strengthening collaboration between ABS and our partner institutions as a result of this engagement.