Manufacturing: The foundation for America’s success

Key themes driving trends in the US manufacturing sector

Through our research, interaction with clients, and experience in the field, we are seeing that the US manufacturing sector is experiencing unprecedented growth.

Key themes include:

• Technology: Investments in technology are driving research and development, but open the door to the risk of cyber breaches.
• Economy: Americans believe that manufacturing is very important to America’s economy prosperity and standard of living.
• Global competitiveness: Strengths of the US manufacturing sector will likely lead to a competitive advantage over other countries.
• Talent: Innovative advances in manufacturing will require higher technical skills, creativity, and problem solving. As the US manufacturing sector grows and the demand for higher skilled jobs increases, however, companies’ are struggling to attract and retain top talent.

Explore our infographic to find out how high-performing manufacturers can outperform their peers and which factors are impacting the talent shortage.

Manufacturing fuels the US economy by creating jobs and driving advancements in technology

Americans value a strong manufacturing sector³

About 8 in 10 Americans believe that future manufacturing jobs will be more innovative. Innovation requires higher technical skills, creativity, and problem solving capabilities while being more clean and safe due to automation and reduced manual labor. Innovation requires higher technical skills, creativity, and problem solving capabilities while being more clean and safe due to automation and reduced manual labor.

High-performing manufacturers outperform their peers by focusing on four areas⁵

US manufacturers face significant talent challenges given the widening skills gap⁶

As the digital and the physical worlds converge, the risk of a cyber breach increases

Sources

1. Top 20 facts about manufacturing
2. Advanced Technologies Initiative: Manufacturing and Innovation
3. Public perception of manufacturing
4. Global Manufacturing Competitiveness Index
5. High-performing manufacturers: Where they play and how they win
6. The skills gap in US manufacturing
7. Cyber risk in advanced manufacturing
8. The hidden costs of an IP breach: Cyber theft and the loss of intellectual property

Additional manufacturing resources

For more information on competitiveness along with the future of innovation in manufacturing, visit these resources:

• Safeguarding the internet of things: Being secure, vigilant, and resilient in the connect age
• When tax meets technology: Tax implications of Industry 4.0
• Industry 4.0 and manufacturing ecosystems: Exploring the world of connected enterprises
• The rise of the digital supply network: Industry 4.0 enables the digital transformation of supply chains