News & Insights

Washington, D.C. – As manufacturers call on Congress to urgently pass the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the National Association of Manufacturers released a report today, “Keeping Our Promises: Manufacturers on Eight Years of Tax Reform,” that highlights the transformative impact of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on manufacturing in the U.S. From small family-run operations to global enterprises, the report shows how manufacturers delivered on their promises to invest, hire and grow, thanks to the savings from tax reform. It also warns of the serious risks to jobs and growth if pro-manufacturing tax policies are allowed to expire.

“The evidence is clear: manufacturing had its best job creation in more than two decades, the strongest wage growth in 15 years and significant investment in capital equipment after the passage of the TCJA in 2017,” said NAM Executive Vice President Erin Streeter. “But several of these tax provisions have expired already—and the rest are scheduled to sunset at the end of this year—putting at risk 6 million American jobs, more than $500 billion in wages and benefits and more than $1 trillion in GDP.”

The report features firsthand accounts from manufacturers like Westminster Tool, Click Bond, Ketchie, Gentex, Winton Machine, Jamison Door Company and more that transformed tax reform savings into tangible investments in the future, leveraging tax reform to:

• Raise wages and expand benefits;
• Invest in advanced machinery and technology;
• Strengthen R&D and innovation;
• Build new facilities and expand existing ones; and
• Create jobs and economic opportunity in their communities.

“This is a success story we’re proud to share—told through the experiences of manufacturers that delivered on their commitments and backed by research that reinforces what they’ve witnessed firsthand over the past eight years: tax reform worked,” Streeter added. “Congress faces a straightforward choice to make the TCJA’s manufacturing-empowering provisions permanent, or risk undermining the foundation of our economic competitiveness.”

Read the full report and manufacturing success stories from across the country here.

Learn more about the NAM’s Manufacturing Wins campaign to protect 2017 tax reform here.

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The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.93 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

Washington, D.C. – In response to the EPA’s decision to repeal the 2024 power plant rule, a key priority for the National Association of Manufacturers’ ongoing efforts to rebalance federal regulations and unleash American energy, NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons issued the following statement:

“The EPA’s decision to repeal the unworkable power plant rule for existing coal-fired and new natural gas-fired power plants is a critical and welcome step toward rebalanced regulations and American energy dominance. This change will strengthen grid reliability and support manufacturing growth in the United States.

“From the onset, the NAM has warned that this rule would undermine the stability of our electric grid and impose unworkable mandates on critical energy infrastructure. The rule’s unrealistic timeline for power plants to adopt certain emerging technologies to commercial scale made it infeasible—undermining America’s energy security and hampering America’s leadership in next generation technologies like AI. Existing natural gas plants are critical to powering manufacturing in the United States—providing affordable, reliable baseload energy to continuously support industry. By layering new regulations on an already overburdened electric grid, the rule was putting our energy security at risk. Repealing this unbalanced rule will enhance manufacturers’ access to America’s abundant energy resources and ensure that the industry has the power it needs to drive the American economy.”

Background: Today’s action builds on the momentum from a December 2024 NAM-led letter to the transition team, signed by more than 100  manufacturing organizations, detailing regulatory actions the incoming administration could take to right-size regulations that stunted manufacturing growth and job creation—including the power plant rule. It also implements one of the key recommendations from the letter the NAM sent to 10 federal agencies in April, including the EPA,  identifying the power plant rule as one of the most burdensome regulations facing manufacturers and urging a rebalanced approach to strengthen, rather than strain, U.S. manufacturing. Last year, the NAM endorsed Rep. Balderson’s (OH-12) Congressional Review Act resolution that would have blocked implementation of this rule.

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The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.93 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

Everyone’s talking about where artificial intelligence is taking us, but few are discussing the immense amount of energy that will be needed to get there. That’s where Lubrizol comes in.

Cool operator: The global specialty chemicals company, with headquarters in Ohio, has a unique method of cooling IT in data centers, those behemoth facilities that power generative AI. As anyone who’s used a computer for long periods of time knows, that equipment can get hot.

• To cool high-performance data centers’ graphics processing units—powerful accelerators that enable AI and other technologies and can generate huge amounts of heat—Lubrizol employs immersion cooling, a method of heat removal that uses liquid.
• “It’s like a blacksmith—when you try to remove heat from hot metal, you immerse it in cold water and the water removes the heat,” Lubrizol Vice President of Corporate Innovation Abhishek Shrivastava told us.
• But at Lubrizol, “we are immersing the computer chips in a formulated oil” instead of water. “These GPUs are working so hard with higher power consumption, they can actually melt if they get too hot. So, you need to remove the heat quickly and efficiently.”

Why we need it: Most current data centers use air cooling, but their increasing workloads and processing capacity—driven by the fast-growing appetite for AI—will require something more efficient, Shrivastava said.

• Meanwhile, next-generation processing units will maintain a thermal design power (i.e., heat) of more than three times today’s commonly used systems, according to Lubrizol.
• “AI is needed for the future—for economic development, for global leadership,” Shrivastava said. “It will come down to who can deploy it faster.”

The tech: Lubrizol believes its method of immersion cooling—which relies on nonconducting, dielectric fluids, or liquids that act as electrical insulators—is the key to winning that race.

• “As AI infrastructure is deployed [in the U.S.], there must be efficient cooling in place too,” Shrivastava continued. “It’s going to require a lot of infrastructure-level investment.”
• Up to 40% of data centers’ total annual energy consumption goes to their cooling systems, according to a recent study by the Electric Power Research Institute. Lubrizol’s technology greatly reduces that percentage for its customers.

Getting started: Lubrizol’s immersion cooling technology has been deployed at multiple data centers, and the company is working with its customers to scale up installations. “A lot of small players are using it, because if you’re small, your risk is low and deployment is fast, but there are some large-scale deployments across the world including in China and the U.S. that show the big players have identified the value,” Shrivastava said.

• Among the company’s next steps: getting the solution deployed at larger centers—though that will take some time. “Larger-scale operations need more data, more confidence in [new] technology,” Shrivastava noted.

Years, not decades: In the long term, however, the cost-benefit analysis is very favorable, said Shrivastava, even with infrastructure development outlay. And Shrivastava foresees widespread use of the technology.

• Awareness of the need for high-powered, efficient cooling is growing. “We’re not talking about a matter of decades” before it’s in wide use; “it’s a matter of years and months.”

The last word: “The industry needs to pick up the pace” on the data center cooling front, Shrivastava told the NAM. “Otherwise, we’re not going to realize the full potential of AI.”

Washington, D.C. – The National Association of Manufacturers today unveiled the U.S. Manufacturing Investment Accelerator Program, a programmatic proposal designed to help manufacturers deliver on President Trump’s vision of America as a global manufacturing powerhouse.

“President Trump’s administration is prioritizing policies that spur more investment and innovation in manufacturing in the U.S.—a goal that manufacturers share. As the administration pursues reciprocal trade deals, the NAM is seeking zero-for-zero tariff outcomes with our top export markets,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. “As these deals materialize, manufacturers need a runway of predictable access to the critical inputs necessary to make things in America, empowering them to invest, create jobs, grow and compete. The U.S. Manufacturing Investment Accelerator Program is a manufacturing ‘speed pass’ that will unlock long-term investments needed to maintain America’s edge in the global economy.”

Why the program is needed right now: Even if the manufacturing industry were operating at full capacity—every machine turned on, every job filled—then the industry could produce only 84% of the inputs necessary to meet demand. That means that at least 16% of manufacturing inputs must be imported to grow domestic manufacturing.

Tariffs on critical manufacturing inputs dramatically increase the cost of these must-use, must-import inputs, thus hindering the very investment needed to grow manufacturing jobs in the U.S. These inputs are raw materials, critical minerals and energy resources—as well as some equipment and machinery our industry needs to install on the shop floor to enable U.S. production.

Timmons added, “The U.S. Manufacturing Investment Accelerator Program offers a way to bring in essential inputs that aren’t produced in the U.S. without added cost burdens—and it rewards manufacturers that expand production, invest in new equipment and create jobs here at home. Every dollar of imported manufacturing inputs has a multiplier effect, generating $1.40 on average in manufacturing output in the U.S. This proposal is a practical, pro-growth approach that supports President Trump’s trade priorities and turns his goal to strengthen manufacturing in America for the long term into reality.”

Background on the U.S. Manufacturing Investment Accelerator Program:

1. A Manufacturing Speed Pass

• To reduce the cost burdens that hinder domestic manufacturing investment, the administration should utilize existing authorities to issue general licenses—effectively a manufacturing speed pass—that allow manufacturers to import essential inputs duty-free.
• This includes raw materials, machinery, components and R&D inputs not readily available domestically.
• Eligible manufacturers would self-certify under defined criteria and be subject to post-entry verification by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
• The Treasury Department, which has experience with general licensing frameworks, would be tasked with implementation.

1. Manufacturing Investment Accelerator Rebates
   The administration should provide a rebate to offset tariff costs incurred on must-import inputs when manufacturers are investing or expanding manufacturing in the U.S. Rebates would apply to:

• New or expanded manufacturing facilities;
• Technological upgrades and equipment modernization;
• Hiring of full-time manufacturing employees; and
• Domestic R&D expenditures.

Additionally, to ensure the program remains responsive and effective in generating manufacturing expansion in the U.S., the NAM recommends convening a Quarterly Manufacturing Dialogue between manufacturers and key federal agencies, including U.S. Treasury, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the Department of Commerce and the Small Business Administration, among others.This ongoing forum would allow for real-time feedback, operational updates and continuous improvement of the Accelerator Program to better serve manufacturers in America.

The NAM also today unveiled a first-of-its-kind new data analysis visualized in a trade map, offering a state-by-state look at the increase in tariff costs borne by manufacturers and the need for globally sourced critical inputs necessary to make things in America—such as raw materials, critical minerals and energy sources.

The NAM’s Q2 2025 Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey showed manufacturers’ optimism has dropped to 55.4%, the lowest level since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in Q2 2020. Trade uncertainty remained the top business concern for the second consecutive quarter, cited by 77.0% of respondents.

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The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.93 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector rese arch and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

Washington, D.C. – The National Association of Manufacturers released its Q2 2025 Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey, revealing that optimism among manufacturers across the country has dropped sharply. Only 55.4% of respondents report a positive outlook for their companies—a nearly 15-percentage-point drop from Q1 and the lowest level since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in Q2 of 2020.

The survey conducted earlier this month revealed that 85.4% of manufacturers believe Congress should preserve pro-growth tax policies in response to trade uncertainty.

Trade uncertainty remained the top business concern for the second consecutive quarter, cited by 77.0% of respondents, followed by increased raw material costs, which was cited by 66.1% of respondents.

“These numbers are yet another indicator that manufacturers need increased policy certainty. Congress must act urgently to preserve tax reform and empower manufacturers to make the long-term investments that drive the American economy,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. “The stakes are high: preserving tax reform will prevent the loss of 6 million jobs and avoid a $1 trillion hit to the economy—that’s why manufacturers are calling on the Senate to preserve pro-manufacturing tax policies from the House-passed reconciliation bill, while also taking steps to ensure the final package is maximally beneficial for our industry. Pro-manufacturing tax policies are a critical component of a comprehensive manufacturing strategy; this quarter’s results also show that manufacturers need a strategic approach to trade policy that allows our industry to reduce costs and access the inputs we need to make things in America.”

The NAM releases these results to the public each quarter. Further information on the survey is available here.

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The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.93 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector rese arch and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

Antora Energy has an energy storage solution that could transform American manufacturing.

Antora builds thermal batteries that draw in locally produced electricity when it’s cheap and plentiful, converting it into heat stored in solid blocks of carbon. That energy can be delivered 24/7 to manufacturers as affordable, reliable energy. It’s a solution that is both modular and scalable, capable of serving small and large manufacturers alike.

• “We’re taking local energy from sources that are already near factories, at times when nobody else wants it and it would otherwise be wasted, and delivering it to American manufacturers,” said Antora Chief Operations Officer Justin Briggs. “It helps the factory become more competitive and stabilizes the local grid.”

Promoting U.S. energy: Antora’s batteries are manufactured in the U.S., using a domestic supply chain that avoids reliance on critical minerals (which must often be imported from China).

• The core of the battery is a form of inexpensive, low- to medium-grade graphite that is often a byproduct of coal mining or petroleum refining—an abundant resource across the U.S.
• “This is an opportunity to build a new technology class in the United States, with American materials and American supply chains,” said Briggs. “From the very beginning, we can build in America to support U.S. manufacturers.”

Creating jobs: The company is excited about the opportunity to create jobs in the United States—both at Antora itself and at the factories it supports.

• “We’re currently operating our first factory—a thermal battery gigafactory in San Jose, California—but that’s just the beginning,” said Briggs. “We’re already looking at a second factory, and more beyond that. We’re talking about being able to create a tremendous number of jobs around manufacturing hubs in the U.S.”

Leading a renaissance: Antora sees the chance not only to build a new industry, but also to help support the next generation of American manufacturing and global technological leadership.

• “[The U.S. has] a chance for a renaissance—to tap into these domestic, abundant energy resources and support manufacturing industries, from concrete and steel to chips and data centers,” said Briggs. “These are all sectors that need energy, and we can supply it cost-effectively.”

Overcoming hurdles: Briggs notes that electricity markets have been around for a long time—and as a result, regulatory hurdles designed by long-ago policymakers can get in the way of this new technology.

• “The rules that govern electricity markets were not designed to contemplate scenarios like this one,” said Briggs. “Thermal batteries bring huge benefits to industry and the electric grid, but it can be hard to do from a regulatory perspective. We’re working with regulators to open up markets to support these great project opportunities.”
• “We’re just trying to make sure there aren’t antiquated rules in the way, so we can help make American industry more competitive.”

The bottom line: “This is an opportunity to drive a resurgence in American manufacturing through cheap energy,” said Briggs. “We’re putting this energy to use to repower American industry.”

The U.S. Supreme Court has put limits on a procedural requirement that has become a major roadblock for infrastructure and energy projects: environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act.

The background: The predecessor of substantive statutes like the Clean Water and Clean Air Acts, NEPA is the “the single most litigated environmental statute,” NAM Vice President and Deputy General Counsel Erica Klenicki told us.

• In this case, local government and environmental groups brought a NEPA challenge to the Surface Transportation Board’s approval of an 88-mile rail line in Utah’s Uinta Basin, which would connect to the national rail network and carry crude oil to refinery markets along the Gulf Coast.
• The board approved the project after issuing a comprehensive, 3,600 page environmental impact statement under NEPA.
• But that wasn’t enough—the D.C. Circuit blocked the board’s approval, ruling that its exhaustive analysis failed to consider the repercussions of more oil production made possible by the rail line. It contended that the board should have considered the potential impact of increased oil refining on Gulf coast communities thousands of miles away—even though the board had no power at all to control for those effects.

The issue: The NAM filed an amicus brief in the case, urging the court to reject the premise adopted by the D.C. Circuit—that NEPA requires agencies to analyze the effects of upstream or downstream projects over which they do not exercise regulatory authority.

• Yesterday, the justices ruled 8–0 (Justice Neil Gorsuch recused himself) that the board did not have to consider such sweeping effects when evaluating whether to approve a project.

What they said: “NEPA is a procedural cross-check, not a substantive roadblock,” Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote . “The goal of the law is to inform agency decision-making, not to paralyze it.”

• “Courts should review an agency’s [environmental impact statement] to check that it addresses the environmental effects of the project at hand. The EIS need not address the effects of separate projects,” Kavanaugh wrote. “In conducting that review, courts should afford substantial deference to the agency as to the scope and contents of the EIS.”

The NAM’s advocacy: The NAM has been a tireless proponent of limiting regulatory overreach, especially the out-of-control permitting process that strangles important new infrastructure and energy projects.

• “The congressional intent behind NEPA when it was passed was to make sure a specific project could be reviewed for its environmental impact—not to slow down progress on important economic growth,” said NAM Director of Energy and Resources Policy Michael Davin. “The U.S. should learn from other nations and review projects for environmental impacts without taking years and years to approve them.”

The NAM’s Q2 Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey, released today, shows that manufacturers’ optimism about the future is dropping precipitously.

The headline number: Only 55.4% of respondents report a positive outlook for their companies—a nearly 15-percentage-point drop from Q1 and the lowest level since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in Q2 of 2020.

• Manufacturers do have a prescription for renewed confidence, however, as 85.4% of respondents believe Congress should preserve pro-growth tax policies in response to trade uncertainty.

Worried about trade: Trade uncertainty remained the top business concern for the second consecutive quarter, cited by 77.0% of respondents.

• Almost as alarming is the increase in raw material costs, which was cited by 66.1% of respondents.

The NAM says: “These numbers are yet another indicator that manufacturers need increased policy certainty. Congress must act urgently to preserve tax reform and empower manufacturers to make the long-term investments that drive the American economy,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons.

• “The stakes are high: preserving tax reform will prevent the loss of 6 million jobs and avoid a $1 trillion hit to the economy—that’s why manufacturers are calling on the Senate to preserve pro-manufacturing tax policies from the House-passed reconciliation bill, while also taking steps to ensure the final package is maximally beneficial for our industry.”
• “Pro-manufacturing tax policies are a critical component of a comprehensive manufacturing strategy; this quarter’s results also show that manufacturers need a strategic approach to trade policy that allows our industry to reduce costs and access the inputs we need to make things in America.”

Washington, D.C. – The Manufacturing Leadership Council, the digital transformation division of the National Association of Manufacturers, today released a groundbreaking report, “Shaping the AI-Powered Factory of the Future,” that reveals how manufacturers are embracing artificial intelligence on shop floors. The report, a product of the MLC’s “Future of Manufacturing Project,” underscores the need for a policy framework that supports U.S. AI growth, innovation and leadership—one that streamlines compliance, fosters transparency and aligns energy, workforce, privacy and innovation rules with the realities of smart manufacturing.

AI has become essential to modern, competitive manufacturing in America: for example, manufacturers use cutting-edge AI tools like AI-powered cameras to enhance worker safety and eliminate product defaults, AI simulations to design new products and optimize shop floor operations, and AI data analytics to control costs and manage supply chains more efficiently. Manufacturers are also embedding AI in new, intelligent products. The report shows that 51% of manufacturers already use AI in their operations, with 61% expecting investment in AI will increase by 2027. By 2030, 80% say AI will be essential to growing or maintaining their business.

The report also illustrates that manufacturers face ongoing barriers to using and scaling AI—indicating data quality and accessibility as the top challenges, with 65% of respondents reporting they lack the right data for AI applications and 62% citing data that is unstructured or poorly formatted. 

“Artificial intelligence isn’t new to manufacturing. For years, manufacturers have been developing and deploying AI-driven technologies—machine vision, digital twins, robotics and more—to make shop floors smarter, supply chains stronger and workplaces safer,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. “The latest report from the MLC reinforces the need for modernized, agile, pro-manufacturing AI policy solutions, so that manufacturers can continue to innovate on shop floors across America. Manufacturers welcomed President Trump’s early commitment to maintaining and advancing America’s global AI dominance, and we look forward to continuing to champion American AI leadership and manufacturing in America, which starts with adopting a pro-AI regulatory framework and pursuing policies that bolster innovation.”

As manufacturers seek to expand their use of AI and unlock its full potential at scale, the report also highlights areas where manufacturers may face challenges and require additional investment, such as modernizing data architectures, developing a more knowledgeable workforce, building organizational trust and accelerating legacy infrastructure upgrades.

The NAM has proposed a series of policy recommendations for policymakers to drive AI development and adoption in manufacturing:

1. Adopt a pro-AI regulatory approach given the growing number and variety of use cases in AI in manufacturing, which require an optimized regulatory environment.
2. Develop the manufacturing workforce of the AI age by supporting training programs, career and technical education institutions and STEM education and immigration. According to the MLC’s report, 82% of manufacturers cite a lack of AI-ready skills as the top workforce challenge.
3. Advance energy and permitting reform to support AI-related data center growth.
4. Protect personal data by passing a comprehensive privacy law that preempts state laws, provides liability protections that prevent frivolous litigation and adopts a risk-based approach that enables innovation and AI.
5. Support U.S. manufacturing of AI chips by executing funding agreements with chip manufacturers and renewing the Advanced Manufacturing Investment Credit.
6. Incentivize U.S. AI innovation by passing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that preserves pro-manufacturing tax policies.

“A worldwide competition for AI supremacy is underway, and manufacturers have the opportunity to lead the charge with this game-changing technology,” said MLC Founder, Vice President and Executive Director David R. Brousell. “Fast-moving developments in the technology have turbo-charged interest and adoption of AI in its many forms, intensifying competition. To win, manufacturers in America need a strong ecosystem of partners and support to create new, competitive advantages in all facets of the manufacturing industry, from operations, to supply chains, to the workforce—and in their efforts to innovate for the future.”

Background:

Manufacturers have been at the forefront of developing and implementing cutting-edge AI systems that are transforming shop floors and revolutionizing operations.

In March, the NAM submitted comments to inform the White House’s development of an AI Action Plan, explaining how manufacturers are using AI on the shop floor and in operations, with specific recommendations on rebalancing and right-sizing AI regulations to enhance America’s global AI dominance.

In May 2024, the NAM published “Working Smarter: How Manufacturers Are Using Artificial Intelligence”—a report that explains the ways in which manufacturers are already using AI, making the technology integral to modern manufacturing with manufacturers at the forefront of developing and implementing AI systems.

Most recently, the House-passed reconciliation bill included language to prevent a patchwork of state AI regulations that would impede AI innovation and development, in line with the NAM’s advocacy for workable, flexible national standards.

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The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.93 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector rese arch and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

Featured Quotes from NAM Board Chair Kathy Wengel and Partners of the MLC’s Future of Manufacturing Project

“AI continues to drive innovation, efficiency and better outcomes for manufacturers across America. From accelerating drug discovery and development to optimizing manufacturing operations, AI enables companies to make smarter, faster and more impactful decisions,” said Kathy Wengel, Executive Vice President and Chief Technical Operations and Risk Officer at Johnson & Johnson and Board Chair at the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). “Importantly, AI empowers employees at all levels, when we equip them with the knowledge and understanding to help shape the implementation of these new technologies. AI is proving to be an essential partner on the shop floor, and we must continue to ensure manufacturing employees have the skills they need to build the future of our industry.”

“The Manufacturing Leadership Council survey shows that while continuous improvement remains a key performance indicator for AI in manufacturing, more manufacturers are starting to see greater value in automation and prediction moving forward. From identifying improvement opportunities to analyzing how people interact with systems, AI is enhancing workplace safety and amplifying the power of the leaders on the floor to solve problems faster before any potential disruption to operations. With 63% of manufacturers meeting or exceeding their targets with AI, this survey shows that this trend is only expected to grow as companies prepare their factories for the future.” – Tim Buschur, Chief Strategy Officer, Invisible AI

“Smart manufacturing is advancing rapidly as manufacturers invest in AI and emerging technologies to drive efficiency and long-term business value. Rockwell Automation is helping address key challenges, such as workforce gaps and technology readiness, through strategic partnerships that accelerate digital transformation. The broader manufacturing sector can benefit from initiatives like this, which share practical expertise and clear guidance to demystify AI and empower organizations at any stage of digital maturity to adopt advanced technologies with confidence.” – Austin Locke, Global Lead of Data Science and AI at Kalypso, a Rockwell Automation business  

“AI is rapidly becoming central to manufacturing operations, yet nearly a third of survey respondents are unsure who oversees AI governance at their company. To fully realize AI’s potential, organizations can build a stronger foundation by implementing robust governance strategies that go beyond the technology itself—fostering cross-functional collaboration among leadership and frontline teams to ensure that data, systems, and people are equipped to use AI effectively in real-world settings.” – Kris Slozak, Director of Consumer and Industrial Products, West Monroe

“Business leaders are already seeing immediate benefits with the use of AI; however, manufacturers still face challenges around inaccessible data, limited employee skillset to leverage AI effectively, and outdated systems and operations. Companies that invest early in strong data governance, smart integration, and cross-functional collaboration will be better positioned to compete and grow.”  – Prasoon Saxena, Global Co-Lead Products Industries, NTT DATA

“AI is already driving measurable value for manufacturers by enhancing decision-making and transforming critical supply chain operations. To fully unlock its potential at scale, investing in modern data infrastructure, enhancing workforce knowledge and skills, and adopting new processes to embrace new ways of working will be essential to help manufacturers remain competitive now and in the future.”  – Richard Weng, Managing Director, Accenture

President Trump signed several executive orders on Friday that call for the reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and will speed up the permitting of new reactors in the U.S. (CNBC).

What’s involved: “Trump said Friday the orders focus on small, advanced reactors that are viewed by many in the industry as the future. But the president also said his administration supports building large plants.”

• “We’re also talking about the big plants—the very, very big, the biggest,” Trump said. “We’re going to be doing them also.”

Going faster: Building new power plants has been a tedious effort thanks to the long licensing and regulatory approval processes.

• Yet the appetite for more nuclear power is there, thanks to the electricity demand from the data centers powering the AI revolution.
• “Three Mile Island is expected to return to service with financial support from Microsoft . . . and Alphabet and Amazon are investing in small, advanced reactors,” CNBC noted.

More uranium: The EOs also aim to boost uranium mining in the U.S. and to increase domestic enrichment and processing capacity, according to an administration official.

• In addition, the orders also “aim to speed up reactor testing at the Department of Energy’s national laboratories.”

The NAM says: “These actions mark an important and timely step toward unleashing American energy dominance safely and responsibly. Nuclear-generated power is an important part of an all-of-the-above energy strategy, which is necessary to meet the power needs of a growing manufacturing sector, and the nuclear fuel supply chain is a critical manufacturing industry that we need to bring home,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons.

• “Rebalancing regulations and expediting permitting reform to unleash American energy are key pillars of a comprehensive manufacturing strategy that Congress must act on so manufacturers can grow, hire and compete—and these orders reflect that vision by reforming the licensing and permitting systems that place burdens on manufacturers.”
• “The NAM looks forward to working closely with the National Energy Dominance Council, under the leadership of Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, as well as Congress to ensure these policies translate into durable results for manufacturers.”