The drive to create. Put simply, that’s what has propelled Marley Passey into a career in manufacturing, despite the fact that she’s legally blind. “I’ve always really enjoyed making things, building little wooden toys,” Marley says. “And this is the natural progression of that, making these really big and complex metal or composite parts. I...

Manufacturing evolved in the United States through geographic clusters that produced competitive advantages in expertise, scale of operations, research prowess, and skilled labor. The origin of the automotive sector is an example of a regional cluster, with vehicles assembled in the Detroit area from parts and components manufactured in the upper...

The U.S. outspends other nations in r esearch and development and continues to lead the world in innovations and inventions. However, new products are often “stranded in the lab” when we don't have the manufacturing capability, or get developed in other countries such as China, Germany, and South Korea that invest more aggressively in...

Three-quarters of U.S. manufacturers have fewer than 20 employees and do not have extensive research and development capabilities. Given the high costs of product development and their scope of operational challenges, from workforce and regulatory issues to unpredictable disruptions, it is difficult for small manufacturers to maintain...

The manufacturing skills gap in the U.S. could result in 2.1 million unfilled jobs by 2030, according to a study by The Manufacturing Institute and Deloitte. Finding workers with the right skills has been one of the biggest challenges in the manufacturing sector for more than a decade.

Manufacturing has long been a driver of innovation and...