A group of manufacturing organizations led by Rockwell Automation today called on the federal government to dramatically increase funding for research and development, help develop a plan for green manufacturing, and enact changes in tax law to encourage automation and modernization of U.S. factories.
In addition to Rockwell, the group consisted of the Manufacturing Institute, a unit of the National Association of Manufacturers; the National Electrical Manufacturers Association; the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI; and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.
Keith Nosbusch, chairman and chief executive of Rockwell Automation, called for a “new U.S. industrial strategy for competitiveness” that would not only spur innovation through greater funding for applied research, but also tackle such persistent problems as the cost disadvantage facing U.S. manufacturers competing with companies abroad, a deficit now estimated at 18%.
The United States remains the leader in manufacturing globally, Nosbusch said, but he called that leadership position “very vulnerable” in remarks today in Washington at a press conference at the National Press Club. “We must stimulate the transformation to safe, smart, and sustainable manufacturing,” he said.