In May, the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the North Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership at NC State University collaborated to produce a report highlighting the Best Practices for Growing Manufacturing in North Carolina.

The manufacturing industry has historically served as a significant portion of the state’s economy. The report said in 1994, manufacturing accounted for one-fourth of all jobs and one-third of private GDP in the state. In the wake of globalization and rapidly-changing technology and automation, the industry has since experienced the loss of thousands of jobs.

According to the report, the integration of “Industry 4.0” technologies offer opportunities to revitalize and grow manufacturing in NC into the future. This “technology revolution” represents the increasing combination of technology and manufacturing with advancements in areas like robotics, AI, 3D printing, virtual reality, and other processes manufacturers are implementing into their production practices. 

Providing assistance to manufacturing companies, especially small- and medium-sized businesses, in adopting these technologies will help sustain their competitiveness in the global market. The state hopes to foster investments, offer hands-on experience through demonstration centers, and bolster cybersecurity among other strategies to support this technological implementation.

This creates a necessity for an increasing talent pool suited to the jobs created by this growing tech/manufacturing blend. Fostering education and industry partnerships, ensuring school curriculums align with the needs of employers, and expanding apprenticeship and work-based learning programs, in addition to up-skilling the current workforce, will be necessary for ensuring companies have the ability to keep pace with these advancements.

Integral to the entirety of the industry, manufacturing’s startups and small businesses must also receive support enabling them to flourish. Financial and technical support, access to modern tools and infrastructure, and developing a network of mentors to help navigate changes while scaling can remove barriers to growth for these businesses.

Fortifying supply chains within the state will also be instrumental for manufacturing’s resilience. The state’s report suggests the development of local supply chains and the encouragement of manufacturers to source materials from within NC will not only support local businesses, but encourage foreign investments. This practice will also reduce vulnerabilities to supply-chain disruptions and encourage more B2B collaboration within the state.

The report concludes: “By adopting a proactive stance, committing to comprehensive and actionable strategies, and securing the necessary resources for implementation, the state can ensure its manufacturing sector thrives. This will not only bolster North Carolina’s economic development but also secure its place as a leader in the next era of manufacturing innovation.”

Source: Best Practices for Growing Manufacturing in North Carolina; Essentials for Success in Industry 4.0 by the NC Department of Commerce and the NC Manufacturing Extension Partnership.