ICYMI: Manufacturing News from Around the Web

Welcome to Thomas Insights — every day, we publish the latest news and analysis to keep our readers up to date on what’s happening in industry. Sign up here to get the day’s top stories delivered straight to your inbox. Between the New Year and CES, it’s the season for innovation, predictions, and new technology. We’ve curated some of the most timely manufacturing stories from around the Web, covering batteries, electric vehicles, hiring trends, the expansion of manufacturing in the U.S., and use cases for automation and robotics in the industry. These are the technology and trends that are going to drive the industry forward in 2023. Business Employers are focused on constant onboarding and training new employees throughout the strong jobs market, reports The New York Times ($). Manufacturers like W.H. Bagshaw have been dealing with this cycle for almost two years. More than 740,000 manufacturing jobs were open as of October 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics , and manufacturers are attracting and retaining talent by increasing pay, particularly for entry-level employees, and offering upskilling and reskilling programs to attract and retain talent ( Supply Chain Dive ). Women in manufacturing: What companies are doing to recruit, retain half the population (Manufacturing Dive) How digital manufacturing creates business opportunities (National Association of Manufacturers) Transportation More than $33 million has been earmarked for building new auto factories as a result of new federal funding and the shift to electric vehicles. Much of that growth is in the South, reports The Wall Street Journal ($). Meanwhile, local and state governments are adapting their regulation to support the boom in EV charging station implementation, according to Smart Cities Dive . Governments aren’t the only ones adapting to the evolution of the auto market, as startups like Cintra pursue vehicle-to-infrastructure technology, which will make highways safer and improve traffic flow ( Emerging Tech Brew ). Buying an electric car? You can get a $7,500 tax credit, but it won’t be easy (NPR) Energy The Department of Energy has released guidelines for how it will allocate $3.5 billion in funding for direct air capture industry, which is the removal of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, according to E&E News . This new funding, a result of 2021’s infrastructure law, will result in two prize competitions for four regional hubs that will focus on removing carbon from the air and pumping it underground. Technology Climate legislation and the ongoing shift to eclectic vehicles are just two of the factors driving demand for batteries globally. Companies are innovating to reduce charge time, boost power, and decrease cost by experimenting with solid-state batteries and exploring material swaps, such as lithium iron phosphate, reports MIT Technology Review . Automation is at a tipping point (Chief Executive) Manufacturing in 2023 More than half of U.S. companies plan to invest in reshoring efforts in 2023, according to a Xometry poll done in partnership with Forbes and John Zogby Strategies. This is part of a wave of modernization that is sweeping manufacturing, including digital workflows, robotics, and automation. “Major legislation like the CHIPS and Science Act, the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure law helped buoy reshoring in 2022, and we expect that trend to accelerate in 2023 as companies further build supply chain resilience,” said Xometry CEO Randy Altschuler. “CEOs recognize that tapping into America’s vast manufacturing infrastructure can help solve most of the world’s supply chain problems. As they bring production back to the States, CEOs are also modernizing shops across the country, deploying digital workflow technologies, investing in new processes, and embracing automation.” Image Credit: Shutterstock / fizkes More from Industry Trends

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