Global manufacturing has always been dynamic, but today, we are facing what can only be described as a sea change. Technology-intensive processes being developed in the United States and abroad are helping to drive competitiveness by increasing research, development and manufacturing efficiency. Additionally, challenges to the economy (not the least of which is the COVID-19 pandemic) have wrought other developments that will impact not only the ongoing push for reshoring but the increasingly competitive drive to develop a vaccine. At the same time, companies are striving to keep customers satisfied and to continue to attract a skilled workforce. This issue covers all these topics and we invite you to read on.
Washington’s international reputation for invention, innovation and inclusion is well known, and well deserved. The state’s world-class businesses and entrepreneurs have fundamentally changed the world we live in, from the way we travel and what we eat to how we entertain ourselves, treat life-threatening diseases and shop online for goods and services. more....