Restoring U.S. Manufacturing: Skills and Value Chains

Manufacturing Innovation, Growing the Skilled Technical Workforce, Growing Resilient Value Chains

The COVID-19 pandemic pointedly raises the question of how the United States should reconcile efficiency in industrial production and supply with the need for resiliency and recognition of growing dependence on competitors and strategic adversaries for critical technologies and essential products for health and equipment.  Resilience has not been a major factor in organizing the manufacturing economy in recent decades as U.S. firms, driven by considerations of market efficiency, made massive investments in distributed production, notably in China. 

Restructuring supply chains from the ideal of “just in time” to “just in case” calls for greater investment in manufacturing innovation, and in re-shoring some of the nation’s high-tech manufacturing capabilities.  It also calls for renewing the ecosystems that sustain domestic manufacturing.

For this new challenge to be met, firms will require workers with greater proficiency in literacy and numeracy, as well as technical and problem-solving skills.  Renewing American innovation in a more challenging global economy must begin with a strategy for investing in American students and workers to contribute and benefit from the 21st century innovation economy. Successful examples exist and their lessons need to be drawn and applied at scale.


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Old Is New: Making Innovation Work for Everyone

To be effective, renewing U.S. innovation must mean encouraging and engaging with the multiplicity of local initiatives that connect the shared interests of communities and firms in building their region’s productive base and skilled technical workforce.

Commentary by Tom Guevara — September 7, 2022

Can Semiconductor Reshoring Prime a U.S. Manufacturing Renaissance?

The new strategic focus on semiconductor manufacturing represents a more comprehensive understanding of the industry’s importance beyond a secure supply of chips for defense applications.

Commentary by Sujai Shivakumar, Charles Wessner, and Tom Howell — September 1, 2022

Streamlining the Permitting Process for Fab Construction

With the passing of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, a careful and comprehensive assessment of the permitting process for fab construction is underway.

Commentary by Phillip Singerman, Sujai Shivakumar, Gregory Arcuri, and Hideki Tomoshige — August 29, 2022

A Look at the Science-Related Portions of CHIPS+

CSIS's Renewing American Innovation Project looks at the science-related portions in Division B of the CHIPS+ legislation.

Critical Questions by Sujai Shivakumar, Gregory Arcuri, Hideki Tomoshige, and Benjamin Glanz — August 11, 2022

A Look at the CHIPS-Related Portions of CHIPS+

President Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 into law this week. In this Critical Questions piece, CSIS's Renewing American Innovation Project looks at the CHIPS-related portions in Division A of the CHIPS+ legislation.

Critical Questions by Alexander Kersten, Gregory Arcuri, Gabrielle Athanasia, and Hideki Tomoshige — August 9, 2022

The Great Rewiring: How Global Supply Chains Are Reacting to Today’s Geopolitics

The rise of an aggressive and revisionist China, a devastating global pandemic, the disruptive churn of technological advancement, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are prompting a dramatic rethinking of the value of globally distributed supply chains.

Commentary by Sujai Shivakumar, Gregory Arcuri, and Charles Wessner — July 25, 2022

What Environmental Regulations Mean for Fab Construction

To renew its position as a technology leader, the U.S. must make sure that a costly and complex environmental review process does not stand in the way of fab construction.

Blog Post by Hideki Tomoshige and Benjamin Glanz — July 11, 2022

Semiconductors and National Defense: What Are the Stakes?

The erosion of U.S. capabilities in microelectronics is a direct threat to the United States’ ability to defend itself and its allies. Ensuring U.S. leadership in semiconductor technology is the preeminent national security concern of the modern era.

Commentary by Sujai Shivakumar and Charles Wessner — June 8, 2022