Manufacturers Must Stay Competitive in Global Markets

The heat is on for the U.S.  manufacturing industry to grow and stimulate the overall economy.  Many economists insist that some kind of public-private partnerships will be key to encouraging this struggling sector of the economy.

Many recruiters know that manufacturing assumes many different forms in this technological, digital age, but many manufacturing companies are having a hard time utilizing the latest technologies.  The U.S. Department of Commerce insists that strengthening the capacity of small- and medium-sized manufacturers will result in a more skilled workforce, improved product quality, and job growth.

Assistant to the President for Manufacturing Policy Ron Bloom, U.S. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra, and U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development John Fernandez announced a new public-private partnership that will deliver $4.5 million in grant funding to help small- and medium-sized manufacturers in the Midwest compete in the 21st century global economy.The grants – $2 million from the Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) and $2.5 million from private-sector partners – will catalyze development of state-of-the-art technologies that accelerate the design process, allowing these small- and medium-sized companies to become more competitive.

The goal of the initiative is to foster collaboration between large manufacturing firms and their small- and medium-sized supply chain manufacturers and provide advanced manufacturing modeling and simulation resources that use high-performance computing (HPC) technologies.

How will a push toward top-of-the-line technology in the manufacturing industry impact employment in your region?