The processes and techniques of manufacturing have changed substantially over the decades and that evolution continues today. In order to examine the potential impacts of these changes, the Department of Commerce asked the NRC to design a workshop to focus on issues central to the changing nature of manufacturing. The workshop brought together a number of experts to present papers about and to discuss the current state of manufacturing in the United States and the challenges it faces. This report presents the results of that workshop. Key challenges that emerged from the workshop and that are discussed include understanding manufacturing trends; manufacturing globalization; information technology opportunities; maintaining innovation; strengthening small and medium-sized enterprises; workforce education; and rising infrastructure costs.Table of Contents


Front Matter
Executive Summary
Part I Summary of the Workshop Sessions
1 Manufacturing in the United States
2 Challenges Facing U.S. Manufacturing Today
3 New Directions
Part II Presented Papers: Manufacturing in the U.S. Economy
4 Keynote Address: The Administration's Manufacturing Policy
5 U.S. Manufacturing at the Crossroads
6 Innovation and U.S. Manufacturing
Part III Presented Papers: View from Three Manufacturing Sectors
7 Trends in Rural Manufacturing
8 Issues for Small Manufacturing Enterprises
9 Drivers and Challenges for U.S. Aerospace Manufacturing
Part IV Presented Papers: Manufacturing Globalization
10 Manufacturing Globalization: Is the Glass Half Full or Half Empty?
11 Manufacturing Globalization at United Technologies Corporation
12 Insights on Outsourcing
Part V Presented Papers: The Human Element in Manufacturing
13 Keeping America Competitive
14 Economic Challenges to American Manufacturing
15 The Crisis in U.S. Manufacturing: A Union View
16 The Human Component in Manufacturing
Part VI Presented Papers: The Way Forward
17 Standards and Infrastructure
18 Collaborating to Meet Manufacturing Challenges
19 Manufacturing, Energy, and the Future of New Technology
20 Army Manufacturing Technology Program Responds to 21st Century Challenges
21 Turning New Technologies into Products at Sandia National Laboratories
Part VII Presented Papers: New Manufacturing Paradigm
22 Manufacturing in a Digital Era
23 Manufacturing Knowledge and the Arrow of Time
Appendix A Biographical Sketches of Committee Members
Appendix B Workshop Agenda
Appendix C Acronyms and Abbreviations