Manufacturing Sector Said To Require Revamp

A new emphasis on innovation, productivity, and workforce training is needed to ensure that the U.S. manufacturing sector keeps pace with technological change, according to a report from a committee of the National Academy of Engineering. Manufacturing was once considered separate from research and development, but it has to become a more essential part of the product development process, the report says. Nicholas M. Donofrio, a former IBM executive who chaired the committee, says, “Advancing skills and creating skilled jobs are the best bet to aid the workforce that has been left behind by changes in manufacturing and the broader economy.” Companies, governments, and educators need to come together to ensure that more students—and those from a diverse array of backgrounds—have access to training programs for manufacturing, the report says. It also suggests that governments create education tax incentives and foster local innovation networks to better connect companies with both funding and research that could improve their manufacturing processes.