The United States is far and away the world leader in R&D spending. In 2019, the U.S. spent $612.7 billion on R&D, more than any other country. We spent 19 percent more than China, four times more than Japan, five times more than Germany, and six times more than South Korea.

This February will mark my 25th anniversary with ASSEMBLY magazine. In that short time, I've seen technological advancements that I could not have imagined, and each day seems to bring news of another.

In July, gasoline cost, on average, $3.23 per gallon in the U.S. That compares with $2.27 per gallon in July 2020, and it's the highest price since October 2014. Electricity prices are rising, too.

Industry 4.0 is here. It's not a buzzword or marketing lingo. It's reality, and it's making assembly lines smarter and more efficient.

If both the AFL-CIO and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) support a bill, it should be a lock to pass. Alas, that is not the case with the Biden administration's infrastructure bill.

Good news! According to a new survey of global businesses conducted by American Express and the Centre for Business and Economic Research (CEBR), U.S. companies are the most bullish and optimistic when it comes to business-to-business (B2B) spending than companies in five other industrialized countries.

If there's a silver lining to the COVID pandemic, it might be that it encourages U.S. manufacturers to consider reshoring. Last year's shortages of personal protective equipment, ventilators, pharmaceutical ingredients and other medical products opened a lot of eyes in board rooms and in Washington.

On March 26, Stellantis announced that it would temporarily close five North American assembly plants starting April 5. The affected plants are in Illinois, Michigan, Mexico and Canada. At press time, the plants were expected to be closed through mid-April.

Robots are becoming nearly as common in assembly plants as nutrunners and conveyors. The advent of collaborative robots is only furthering that trend. However, as robots play a greater role on the line, engineers must ensure that workers remain safe around the technology.