Here’s What It Will Really Take For The U.S. To Revitalize Manufacturing

Here’s What It Will Really Take For The U.S. To Revitalize Manufacturing

Share to Linkedin What do silicon chips and ketchup packets have in common? They are the most recent examples of products in short supply—and an illustration of why U. S. manufacturing capabilities matter for everyone from the auto-company CEO to the french-fry ordering consumer. Smart industry robot arms for digital factory production technology showing automation manufacturing ... [+] process of the Industry 4. 0 or 4th industrial revolution and IOT software to control operation . While U. S. factory output increased last month by the most in eight months, overall production capacity remains well below prepandemic levels, revealing just how exposed supply chains still are to shocks and disruptions. The imperative to make domestic manufacturing more competitive comes at a time when shortages of semiconductors, started by pandemic interruptions and worsened by production issues at multibillion-dollar chip factories, are sending shock waves through the economy. These developments have highlighted the urgency for the United States to accelerate its domestic manufacturing base not only in moments of crisis, but also in good times. The potential benefits at stake are significant: new technologies, process innovations, input trends, and demand patterns are creating opportunities that did not exist even a decade ago. Indeed,