When the GM Tech Center opened in 1956, its engineers were busy working on projects related to automatic transmissions, gas turbine engines and turbochargers. Today, the R&D facility's focus has shifted to artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, batteries, connectivity, lightweight materials, power electronics, robotics and other topics.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A new manufacturing workforce study shows employees are highly satisfied and optimistic about the industry — but most did not plan to enter it, highlighting a growing “discovery gap” that continues to limit the talent pipeline.
On paper, many manufacturing facilities are high-performing operations, but research shows that even in the most well-run environments, frontline workers don’t always feel engaged, empowered or confident in their day-to-day performance. So where are manufacturers getting the workplace right, and where are they falling short when it comes to how employees actually experience the plant?
ATLANTA—
Manufacturers are entering 2026 facing a tightening labor market marked by an aging workforce, persistent skills gaps and hundreds of thousands of unfilled jobs.
LOS ANGELES—The Obama Administration will locate its ninth U.S. manufacturing hub here. The Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute will bring together a consortium of nearly 200 partners from across academia, industry and nonprofits to spur advances in smart sensors and digital process controls to improve the efficiency of U.S. manufacturing.
DETROIT—A new $148 million high-tech manufacturing research institute set to open this spring in metro Detroit is expected to bring 10,000 jobs to the region within the next five years. The American Lightweight Materials Manufacturing Innovation Institute will be led by the University of Michigan, EWI and The Ohio State University.
CHICAGO—The U.S. Department of Defense awarded $70 million to UI Labs of Chicago, a public-private partnership that will combine the award with $16 million in state funds and other contributions to form a Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute.
CHARLOTTE, NC—Touting a rebound in manufacturing jobs, President Obama announced a public-private partnership to expand that momentum. He unveiled a manufacturing innovation institute in North Carolina, the first of three similar hubs he proposed in last year’s State of the Union address.
