Erin Barden - IRI

About Us

About the IRI

ABOUT THE IRI

Innovation Research Interchange (formerly the Industrial Research Institute) is an inclusive membership organization with nearly one hundred global members in private-sector companies and federally funded laboratories.

BOARD OF ADVISORS

The Innovation Research
Interchange Board of Advisors comprises senior executives at leading manufacturing and research organizations around the world.

BOARD OF EDITORS

oUR STAFF

NEWS AND PRESS RELEASES
What We Do
What We Do

Connect. Develop. Inform.
CONNECT

Peer-to-peer exchange in a neutral, noncompetitive setting: member forums, working groups, and our annual conference.

Community Forum

Events

Our Members

Roundtables
DEVELOP

Professional development that builds individual and team innovation capability, from bootcamps to certificates.

i101 Bootcamp

Virtual Workshops

Applied Innovation Certificates Program

Shaping Innovation Leaders

On-Demand Courses
INFORM

Research, benchmarks, and strategic insight on the future of innovation execution and leadership.

Research-Technology Management

Innovation Growth Drivers

Quarterly Trends Analyzer

IRIS, IRI’s AI Helper
Membership
Events

Events

INNOVATORS SUMMIT

Join hundreds of innovation leaders in Cleveland May 17 - 19, 2027, for IRI's flagship three-day event on AI, sustainability, workforce, and fueling the innovation pipeline.

INNOVATING THE FUTURE

A senior-leader forum for making sense of what's coming next — geopolitics, technology, workforce, markets — and deciding how to respond.

December 2–3, 2026 · Orlando, FL

EVENT CALENDAR

IRI AWARDS
Resource Center

Resource Center

IRI RESOURCE CENTER

Dive into IRI's full library — RTM articles, reports, case studies, podcasts, and community forum surveys, all searchable by topic, content type, and year.

COMMUNITY FORUM SURVEYS

Benchmark your practices against the field — short member surveys capture how innovation leaders are handling AI, IP, sustainability, and day-to-day R&D decisions.

ON-DEMAND COURSES

Sharpen your innovation and R&D skills on your own schedule with self-paced courses, recorded workshops, and curated learning paths built for every career stage.

RESEARCH-TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT

Access the premier journal translating academic research into practitioner insights — six issues a year of practitioner-grounded research on innovation management, R&D strategy, IP, and emerging technology.

IRI PODCASTS

Tune in as innovation leaders share candid takes on AI, sustainability, workforce strategy, and the practices reshaping how corporate R&D gets done.

IRIS AI

About Us

About the IRI

ABOUT THE IRI

Innovation Research Interchange (formerly the Industrial Research Institute) is an inclusive membership organization with nearly one hundred global members in private-sector companies and federally funded laboratories.

BOARD OF ADVISORS

The Innovation Research
Interchange Board of Advisors comprises senior executives at leading manufacturing and research organizations around the world.

BOARD OF EDITORS

oUR STAFF

NEWS AND PRESS RELEASES
What We Do
What We Do

Connect. Develop. Inform.
CONNECT

Peer-to-peer exchange in a neutral, noncompetitive setting: member forums, working groups, and our annual conference.

Community Forum

Events

Our Members

Roundtables

DEVELOP

Professional development that builds individual and team innovation capability, from bootcamps to certificates.

i101 Bootcamp

Virtual Workshops

Applied Innovation Certificates Program

Shaping Innovation Leaders

On-Demand Courses

INFORM

Research, benchmarks, and strategic insight on the future of innovation execution and leadership.

Research-Technology Management

Innovation Growth Drivers

Quarterly Trends Analyzer

IRIS, IRI’s AI Helper
Membership
Events

Events

INNOVATORS SUMMIT

Join hundreds of innovation leaders in Cleveland May 17 - 19, 2027, for IRI's flagship three-day event on AI, sustainability, workforce, and fueling the innovation pipeline.

INNOVATING THE FUTURE

A senior-leader forum for making sense of what's coming next — geopolitics, technology, workforce, markets — and deciding how to respond.

December 2–3, 2026 · Orlando, FL

EVENT CALENDAR

IRI AWARDS
Resource Center

Resource Center

IRI RESOURCE CENTER

Dive into IRI's full library — RTM articles, reports, case studies, podcasts, and community forum surveys, all searchable by topic, content type, and year.

COMMUNITY FORUM SURVEYS

Benchmark your practices against the field — short member surveys capture how innovation leaders are handling AI, IP, sustainability, and day-to-day R&D decisions.

ON-DEMAND COURSES

Sharpen your innovation and R&D skills on your own schedule with self-paced courses, recorded workshops, and curated learning paths built for every career stage.

RESEARCH-TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT

Access the premier journal translating academic research into practitioner insights — six issues a year of practitioner-grounded research on innovation management, R&D strategy, IP, and emerging technology.

IRI PODCASTS

Tune in as innovation leaders share candid takes on AI, sustainability, workforce strategy, and the practices reshaping how corporate R&D gets done.

Erin Barden is the Manager of Strategic Communities Operations at the Innovation Research Interchange (IRI), where she plays a key role in driving internal process efficiencies to support member engagement and manages Board operations. She joined the Manufacturing Leadership Council (MLC), part of the National Association of Manufacturers Strategic Communities, in June 2024 as Manager of Council Operations, overseeing data management, member communications, and support for both virtual and in-person events.

Prior to her work with MLC and IRI, Erin built a strong foundation in the telecom industry at Lumen Technologies (formerly CenturyLink), where she held roles in Finance, Sales Operations, and Customer Success.

A native of the DC/Maryland/Virginia area, Erin earned her Bachelor of Science in Economics and Finance from York College of Pennsylvania. Outside of work, she enjoys live music, collecting vinyl records, and reading.