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Editorial Staff A Network of Little Silicon Valleys
ne of the more noteworthy moments of the 2014 State of the Union was President Barack Obama’s announcement of six new manufacturing hubs, or innovation in- stutues. Two are already in the works: “America Makes,” the additive manufacturing
hub, in Youngstown, OH, and the more recently announced wide bandgap semiconductor hub in Raleigh, NC. This growing network of institutes, Obama said, gives us “the chance to beat other countries in the race for the next wave of high-tech manufacturing jobs.” The President made these remarks against a growing wave of cynicism about a manu- facturing renaissance that is very real—but also, apparently, very misunderstood. The gist of that cynicism goes something like this: While manufacturing has added 568,000 jobs since February 2010, that’s a pittance compared to the manufacturing jobs that have been lost. Global competition has depressed wages in manufaturing, making those jobs less valuable anyway. So, ultimately, manufacturing is not going to be a great savior for our economy. Dismissing more than half a million new jobs doesn’t seem sensible in this economy—
but here’s the bigger story these folks are missing: This renaissance in manufacturing is a renaissance in manufacturing technology. Additive manufacturing. Next-gen semiconduc- tors. Advanced, lightweight materials. High-tech sensors. Multitasking machining centers, including highly advanced lasers, that can cut, weld and drill virtually any material in many axes. Nanotechnology. Not to mention the emerging software.
If we lose the race to master and develop this new wave of manufacturing technology, which could happen if we don’t better educate our workforce, we will all be losers—not just of even more manufacturing jobs, but also of the valuable work of making things and grow- ing exports. Can we really afford to bow out of the next industrial revolution? Consider: In discrete parts manufacturing, which makes up a big part of all manufacturing, a machine shop gets, say, a chunk of steel that costs $5000 and turns it into something else that is worth a couple hundred thousand dollars to a customer. Do we want that profit to go overseas or to stay at home? Do we want our nation to lose the ability, skills and knowledge it takes to make 21st-century defense and medical devices, given that they are critical in our nation’s security, safety and prosperity? Even if this work didn’t add a single job, it would be a worthwhile venture. But in reality, advanced manufacturing is adding new kinds of work that is highly skilled and highly paid, even if it doesn’t add up to ‘70s-style jobs numbers. Obama is right to push for these hubs, these little spokes of scientific activity, that are developing critical technologies—because we’ll surely need them, as well as more people who understand them.
EDITOR IN CHIEF Sarah A. Webster 313-425-3252
swebster@sme.org
SENIOR EDITORS Michael C. Anderson 313-425-3258
manderson@sme.org
James A. Lorincz 440-779-6946
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James D. Sawyer 313-425-3053
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Patrick Waurzyniak 313-425-3256
pwaurzyniak@sme.org
ASSISTANT EDITOR Katelyn DaMour 313-425-3251
ASSISTANT EDITOR Darlene M. Pietryka 313-425-3255
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Sarah A. Webster Editor in Chief
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ManufacturingEngineeringMedia.com | March 2014
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