Catherine Hayes
Industry Manager
SC Research Authority
Catherine Hayes has over 20 years of international industrial experience, including leadership roles with Square D, NCR, and Bosch. With a B.S. in Engineering Management and Mechanical Engineering, a M.S. in Industrial Technology, and expertise in Lean Six Sigma, she led successful teams in Manufacturing Engineering and Operations, Quality Engineering, and Industrial Engineering.
In her current role as Industry Manager with SCRA, Catherine partners with industry to identify improvement opportunities, scouts for technology solutions, and facilitates technology transfer from academic institutions or technology firms to support Industry 4.0 initiatives and digital transformation. She collaborates with economic development organizations, state agencies, and technology consortiums to support industry growth and scalable mobility/energy pilots while fostering the entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystems.
As the previous Executive Director of the South Carolina Automotive Council, Catherine championed Industry 4.0 awareness and convened manufacturers to share best practices in innovation, operations, supply chain development and workforce development. She collaborated across the Southeast with automotive manufacturers and alliances to support the automotive industry and to expand foreign direct investment in the automotive sector.
In her current role as Industry Manager with SCRA, Catherine partners with industry to identify improvement opportunities, scouts for technology solutions, and facilitates technology transfer from academic institutions or technology firms to support Industry 4.0 initiatives and digital transformation. She collaborates with economic development organizations, state agencies, and technology consortiums to support industry growth and scalable mobility/energy pilots while fostering the entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystems.
As the previous Executive Director of the South Carolina Automotive Council, Catherine championed Industry 4.0 awareness and convened manufacturers to share best practices in innovation, operations, supply chain development and workforce development. She collaborated across the Southeast with automotive manufacturers and alliances to support the automotive industry and to expand foreign direct investment in the automotive sector.