Week 50 in Manufacturing News

New Report Identifies Cities with Most Manufacturing Jobs; A Call to Action: Help Specify a New IoT Communication Protocol; UK Manufacturers Enjoying Boost From Sales Direct to Customers; Australia’s Advanced Manufacturing is Creating Careers.

New Report Identifies Cities with Most Manufacturing Jobs

Researchers at Smartest Dollar reported that manufacturing jobs in the U.S. have continued to decline despite the rise in manufacturing output since 2010.

Surprisingly, even while most manufacturing work is now outsourced overseas, the value of goods and services produced in the U.S. has steadily grown. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the index of manufacturing labor productivity is now 2.5 times greater compared to the earliest index data produced back in 1987.

Source: engineering.com

A Call to Action: Help Specify a New IoT Communication Protocol

If your home theater system has a remote for the TV, another for the DVR, and a third for the surround sound system, then you can appreciate the need for a universal remote. As the Internet of Things (IoT) grows, imagine trying to control all the connected sensors and actuators related to home security, lighting, heating, and air-conditioning.

Proprietary systems like Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, and Google Assistant are designed to be voice-operated “universal” remotes, but they don’t necessarily work with competing products, forcing homeowners to either buy everything from a single vendor or deal with multiple control systems.

Source: engineering.com

UK Manufacturers Enjoying Boost From Sales Direct to Customers

More than half of all consumers are buying products direct from manufacturers rather than through traditional stores or online retailers, according to a new report.

Researchers found the rise in shoppers heading straight to the makers of their favourite products could give a 25% boost to the UK manufacturing sector within three years.

The report by Barclays Corporate Banking says direct-to-consumer (D2C) sales could hit £120 billion by 2023 from £96 billion, and help create 118,000 new jobs in the growing sector.

Source: Express & Star

Australia’s Advanced Manufacturing is Creating Careers

Manufacturing is critical to the Australian economy, and it is a vital part of Australia’s recovery from the pandemic induced recession and high unemployment. Manufacturing is crucial to virtually every supply chain and adds value across all industries. However, research by the Australia Institute recently ranked Australia lowest in the OECD for manufacturing self-sufficiency. Despite our world-class skills and amazing natural resources, manufacturing in Australia has stagnated somewhat.

Source: Manufacturing