Profile

Ajay “AJ” P. Malshe serves as the Goodson Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering and President’s Fellow at Purdue University. Dr. Malshe is the Ball Brothers Executive Director of the Manufacturing and Materials Research Laboratories (MMRL), Director of the nation’s first Center for In-Space Manufacturing (CISM), and Co-Director of eXcellence in Manufacturing and Operations (XMO) at Purdue.
He also serves as the CEO and Co-founder of Arkwright Space, whose mission focuses on on-demand electronics, semiconductor manufacturing, and edge autonomy for operational resilience across space, commerce, and defense.
He is an internationally recognized leader in in-space manufacturing and the supply chain, surface engineering and nanomanufacturing, heterogeneous electronics packaging, bio-inspired design, laser-material interactions, frugal engineering methodologies, and translational innovation.
With over 40 years of experience spanning academia, serial entrepreneurship, manufacturing business ownership, and industrial executive leadership, he has transitioned more than 70% of laboratory innovations into commercial successes, impacting sectors such as transportation, energy, defense, space, EVs, manufacturing, and motorsports. A prolific innovator, entrepreneur, and educator, Dr. Malshe has authored 250+ publications, holds 28 patents, delivered 100+ keynote lectures worldwide, and mentored and educated over 1200 students and industrial engineers. His pioneering firsts include innovations such as factory-in-space, in-space manufacturing, convergent manufacturing, ultrashort-laser processing, cBN superhard coatings, nanoelectromechanical machining, and 2D super-lubrication using 2D nanomaterials.
He was elected as a Member to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), the highest honor an engineer can receive, “for innovations in nanomanufacturing with impact in multiple industry sectors.” He has earned 45+ global recognitions, including R&D 100 and Edison Awards. A Fellow of AAAS, ASME, ASM, CIRP, InstP, NAI, and SME, Dr. Malshe’s mission-driven career advances resilient, sustainable, and bio-inspired manufacturing for Earth and space.
Outside of work, he enjoys painting (expressionist and abstract art forms), vocal music, traveling, motorbiking, and homebrewing, and he guides his life by servant leadership inspired by faith, family, and service to society.