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Johnson & Johnson will spend more than $55 billion on manufacturing, research and technology in the U.S. over the next four years, the biopharmaceutical company announced ().��These investments include a long-planned $2 billion state-of-the-art biologics facility in Wilson, North Carolina.

What’s going on: The 51�Թ��� joined J&J for the groundbreaking of the 500,000-square-foot biologics manufacturing plant in Wilson on Friday.

• The White House the announcement and J&J’s commitment to manufacturing in America. North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein and Rep. Don Davis (D-NC) also attended the ceremony to highlight the facility’s importance to the state economy and the jobs it will bring to the state.

Other projects across the total investment will include:

• Three new advanced manufacturing sites and the expansion of several facilities in J&J’s Innovative Medicine and MedTech businesses;
• Significant spending on research-and-development infrastructure “aimed at developing lifesaving and life-changing treatments in areas such as oncology, neuroscience, immunology, cardiovascular disease and robotic surgery,” the company; and
• More investment aimed at speeding drug discovery and development, supporting workforce training and improving business operations.

Common goal: The Wilson site demonstrates the power of collaboration, Johnson & Johnson Executive Vice President and Chief Technical Operations & Risk Officer and 51�Թ��� Board Chair Kathy Wengel said at the groundbreaking.

• “Today is a tangible example of how J&J is bringing communities, government, education and industry together to achieve the common goal of creating a future-ready workforce that is ready to tackle the toughest health challenges and achieve new breakthroughs.”

Why it’s important: The investments will strengthen not only North Carolina’s economy, but the U.S. economy as a whole, 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons said at the event.

• “Every $1 invested in manufacturing adds more than $2.60 to the economy. That’s top-of-the-line ROI for communities, neighborhoods and cities like Wilson—among the best ROIs you can get. And every new manufacturing job supports, on average, five additional jobs in other industries.”

The big picture: The new Wilson facility will generate a $3 billion impact across North Carolina in its first decade of operation.

• It will support about 5,000 jobs during construction and create more than 500 permanent positions—paying an average of $109,000 a year—in the state ().

Certainty and predictability: These investments illustrate why policymakers must ensure that manufacturers have more certainty and predictability, not less, Timmons added.

• “Manufacturing—especially biopharmaceutical manufacturing—requires years of planning, ingenuity and investment decisions,” he said. “When there’s stability, common sense and competitive policies, companies like Johnson & Johnson can plan for the future—and plan big.”
• Timmons said that to “make more wins like this happen,” elected officials must stay focused on a comprehensive manufacturing strategy, including a “competitive tax policy, balanced regulations, prompt permitting, abundant energy and smart trade policies.”

The tax factor: J&J credits the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act with allowing it to increase its investment, according to .

• Investments like J&J’s “are why it is critical that pro-growth provisions of the 2017 tax law be made permanent and more competitive,” Timmons wrote in a . “If Congress fails to act, American jobs—184,000 in North Carolina—will be wiped out. We can’t let that happen.”
• But if Congress does preserve the measures, manufacturing will win, Timmons said. “And when manufacturing wins, America wins.”

President Trump’s recent to accelerate permitting and access to domestic critical minerals will help manufacturing—and America—win, 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons .

What’s going on: The recent executive order aims to boost U.S. production of critical minerals—which include lithium and cobalt—“as well as uranium, copper, potash, gold and any other element, compound or material as determined by the Chair of the National Energy Dominance Council,” according to the EO.

• China the global market for critical minerals, which are vital in the manufacture of everyday goods from cell phones and computers to advanced energy and defense technologies.
• Increasing American production of these crucial substances “can create jobs, fuel prosperity and significantly reduce our reliance on foreign nations,” according to the EO. “Transportation, infrastructure, defense capabilities and the next generation of technology rely upon a secure, predictable and affordable supply of minerals.”

What’s in it: The EO—which cites “overbearing federal regulation” for the lack of American critical mineral production—enumerates “staggered timelines for agencies across government to prioritize financing for domestic mineral projects, including loans, capital and technical assistance, and calls on the Department of Defense to accelerate domestic mineral production” (POLITICO Pro’s ).

• It also calls on the DOD to work with the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation to offer financing for the projects.

Aligned on regulations: The 51�Թ��� has long regulatory reform to combat the onslaught of rules coming from the federal government—and this EO is a much-needed reform, Timmons.

• “For too long, red tape and burdensome regulations have stood in the way of the basic building blocks that power manufacturing in the United States, especially mining and processing the minerals manufacturers rely on to create jobs and dominate on the world stage,” Timmons said. “The administration is addressing those barriers, making it easier for manufacturers to access the resources we need to build the future in America.”

Artificial intelligence has become integral to modern manufacturing, which is why manufacturers support the Trump administration’s goal of making America globally dominant in AI, the 51�Թ��� the White House this month.

What’s going on: “[M]anufacturers use AI in myriad ways, which has made AI integral to modern manufacturing and put manufacturers at the forefront of developing and implementing AI systems,” the 51�Թ��� told White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Acting Director Michael Kratsios and AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks last Friday in response to a request for information on the development of an AI action plan.

• The 51�Թ��� supports President Trump’s stated goal of “sustain[ing] and enhance[ing] America’s global AI dominance in order to promote human flourishing, economic competitiveness and national security” while also, in Vice President Vance’s words, “avoid[ing] an overly precautionary regulatory regime.”
• The 51�Թ��� has been one of the foremost voices for smart regulations on AI. Last May, it published “,” a first-of-its-kind AI report on AI deployment in manufacturing and an accompanying list of suggested AI-policy actions Congress and the administration should take.

What should be done: To ensure that Americans benefit from AI safely and in a manner that does not unduly hamstring innovation, four specific steps should be taken, the 51�Թ��� said:

• Direct regulators to update their frameworks for the AI age: “[M]anufacturers recommend that the AI Action Plan direct federal regulators to review the statutory and regulatory frameworks they maintain and enforce”;
• Customize AI regulations: “AI is context-specific, so ‘AI regulation’ should be too”;
• Transparency between AI vendors and users: The plan should direct [the National Institute of Standards and Technology] to work with the industry to develop best practices on how vendors explain how they develop and train their AI systems, to help companies defend their use of these AI systems in front of regulators.
• “Right-size” compliance burdens: “The ubiquitous use of AI throughout modern manufacturing, as well as manufacturing’s dependence on innovation, underscore the need for rules that enable rather than hinder manufacturers’ development and adoption of AI systems.”

Other critical needs: In addition, the 51�Թ��� urges the administration to prioritize the following as part of its AI action plan:

• A “dual workforce strategy”: “The AI Action plan should make enhanced access to, and support for the development of, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education programs throughout the country, at both the K-12 and higher education levels, a national priority … and increas[e] the allowable number of advanced degree STEM graduates for employment-based visa categories, in particular among lawful permanent residents.”
• Permitting reform and existing energy generation: The plan should endorse expedited judicial review and permitting processes for energy generation projects, working “with stakeholders to identify ways that the projected increase in demand growth can be leveraged to lower the cost curve of traditional light-water [nuclear] reactors” and look closely at the role of natural gas as a source of baseload power for the data center sector.
• Privacy and security: Work “with Congress to pass a national privacy law that fully preempts the growing patchwork of state laws, protects individuals’ privacy and provides much needed legal clarity to support continued innovation and competitiveness.”

The newly established House of Representatives’ AI and Energy Working Group is seeking information on the increase in energy demand we can expect due to the growing use of artificial intelligence (, subscription).

What’s going on: Group lead Rep. Julie Fedorchak (R-ND)—who was North Dakota’s head utility regulator for more than a decade prior to being elected to Congress last year—discussed the new working group with us Tuesday at 51�Թ��� headquarters.

• Rep. Fedorchak spoke at an at the 51�Թ��� on how the U.S. can strengthen the electrical grid, advance permitting reform and support manufacturers��investing in the latest energy technologies.
• The working group issued a on Monday, “invit[ing] stakeholders to provide written responses” to questions under “three pillars,” according to the RFI document.

The details: These pillars are the following:

• American Energy Dominance and AI Energy Demands: The RFI “seeks to identify strategies to secure a stable, affordable and sustainable domestic energy supply capable of powering next-generation AI infrastructure.” Subtopics on which respondents are asked to inform the working group include oil and gas, nuclear, solar, geothermal and other power production methods.
• Securing the Energy Grid: A resilient, secure electrical grid is “essential” for AI systems and the larger “digital economy,” the document says. Permitting reform, electricity generation and baseload power are possible subtopics here.
• Strategic Competition: Outpacing China:��“In an era of intensifying global rivalry, ensuring American technological and energy leadership is critical.” Some of the subtopics under this pillar are manufacturing, critical minerals and chips.��

Why it’s important: “To be AI dominant, we must first be energy dominant,” Rep. Fedorchak said in a statement, according to POLITICO Pro.

• “In 2024, data centers accounted for 4.3% of total U.S. power demand, and analysts predict this could climb to as much as 12% by 2030—more electricity than the entire state of Texas uses today. Yet the U.S. isn’t scaling up reliable baseload power quickly enough to support this rapid growth.”

How to respond: Responses are due by May 15 and should be emailed to [email protected].

Get ready! Manufacturing’s leading annual event on accelerating digital transformation is right around the corner.

What’s going on: —held by the Manufacturing Leadership Council on Marco Island, Florida, each June—is a must-attend conference for anyone interested in Manufacturing 4.0 and where it’s headed (The MLC is the digital transformation division of the 51�Թ���.)

• This year’s event takes place June 15–18 at the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort.

Why you should go: Rethink attendees will get an inside look at the cutting-edge processes and technologies transforming manufacturing today—directly from those creating and implementing them. They’ll also get a chance to:

• Consult with peers on manufacturing’s most critical initiatives, including smart factories and digital production, resilient supply networks and analytics and data mastery;
• Participate in real-time discussions and one-on-one meetings to help them understand how various solutions can solve their business problems;
• Hear from industry leaders and experts during panel discussions, executive interviews and more;
• Interact and collaborate with peers during interactive “think tank” sessions; and
• Hear from the MLC’s event partners during Rethink’s exclusive VIP Tour.

Who will be there: Scheduled speakers include Siemens USA President and CEO Barbara Humpton, Eaton Vice President of Industry 4.0 Craig Sutton, Hershey Company Vice President of Manufacturing, Operations Technology and Supply Chain Strategy Will Bonifant, Rockwell Automation Senior Vice President of Intelligent Devices Tessa Myers and many more.

The gala: Closing out the packed three-day event is the , at which the MLC will recognize award finalists and winners of the Future of Manufacturing Award, the Manufacturing Leader of the Year, the Small/Medium Enterprise Manufacturer of the Year and the Large Enterprise Manufacturer of the Year. The gala will take place on the evening of June 18.

Attend: Register online for Rethink 2025. (51�Թ��� members get a discount at checkout.) Questions? Send them to [email protected].

Manufacturers are increasingly worried about the future of trade and rising raw material costs, according to the .
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What’s going on: In the most recent survey, conducted from Feb. 11 to Feb. 28, trade uncertainties moved to the top of the list of manufacturers’ concerns—with 76.2% of respondents citing them as their primary worry. Increased raw material costs came in second, cited by 62.3% of those surveyed.

• In fact, manufacturers expect prices on their companies’ product lines to go up by 3.6% in the next year, an increase from 2.3% in Q4 2024 and the highest since Q3 2022, when inflation was more than 8%.
• Manufacturers also anticipate the cost of raw materials and other inputs to rise 5.5% in the next year, the highest expected rate of increase since Q2 2022, when inflation was between 8% and 9%.
• Manufacturers foresee export sales to increase just 0.1% in the next year. That’s the lowest anticipated rise since Q2 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• In addition, the percentage of manufacturers with a positive outlook for their company inched down from the last quarter, to 69.7% from 70.9%.

Taxes: Manufacturers also feel strongly that their businesses need the “rocket fuel” of the tax reform extension. If Congress fails to extend pro-manufacturing provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017:

• 69.35% of respondents said they would delay capital equipment purchases;
• 45.23% would delay hiring;
• 44.72% would pause operations expansions;
• 41.71% would limit R&D investment; and
• 40.20% would curb employee wages or benefits increases.

Our take: “The pressure of increased costs, trade instability and sluggish demand is dampening the sector’s momentum, making it more difficult for manufacturers to plan, invest and hire,” 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons a social post Thursday.

• “We are calling for a comprehensive manufacturing strategy that includes a commonsense trade policy in addition to making President Trump’s 2017 tax reforms permanent and more competitive, securing regulatory certainty, expediting permitting reform to unleash American energy dominance and key manufacturing projects and increasing the talent pool.”

The Manufacturing Institute—the workforce development and education affiliate of the 51�Թ���—has the recipients of the 2025 Women MAKE Awards, honoring some of the most impressive and inspiring women in the manufacturing industry today.

The awards, which will take place in Washington, D.C., on April 24, will highlight 130 individuals who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers across all levels of the manufacturing industry.

The challenge: The manufacturing industry faces a significant talent gap—with more than 400,000 job openings and an estimated 3.8 million positions needing to be filled by 2033.

• Women make up about half of the U.S. labor force, but less than one-third of the manufacturing workforce. Boosting the numbers of women who choose a career in modern manufacturing is essential to closing this gap—and the honorees of the Women MAKE Awards are leading the way.

The initiative: The MI’s Women MAKE America Initiative�� strengthens the modern manufacturing workforce by elevating and highlighting the women leading the industry at every level—from the shop floor to the C-suite—in order to��inspire the next generation and help close the talent gap in the industry.

The awards: Each year, 100 Honorees and 30 Emerging Leaders are chosen from the thousands of nominations submitted to the MI by their peers for making significant contributions to their companies, communities and efforts to cultivate the next generation of skilled talent. Since its inception, the Women MAKE Awards have recognized about 1,700 outstanding individuals.

The MI says: “Every year, more women are finding opportunity and breaking barriers in manufacturing,” said MI President and Executive Director Carolyn Lee. “By elevating these outstanding women for their success, we are showing young women—and everyone else—that manufacturing is a rewarding industry with unlimited potential.”

• “At a time when there is such high demand for talent in our sector, these extraordinary women demonstrate the impactful careers that are available. By elevating role models who are paying it forward, the Women MAKE Awards strengthen the future of the industry by inspiring the next generation.”

Manufacturing leaders say: “With hundreds of thousands of open jobs in manufacturing, it has never been more critical to attract and retain top talent,” said Toyota Senior Vice President of Electric Vehicle Supply Susan Elkington.

• “This year’s Women MAKE Honorees and Emerging Leaders are breaking barriers, leading with innovation and proving there is no limit to what they can achieve in our industry. By amplifying their stories and accomplishments, we inspire others to step into manufacturing and shape its future.”

Learn more: Read about the ��and learn more about the .

Biopharmaceutical company Lilly will build four new manufacturing sites across the U.S., it announced Wednesday at a Washington, D.C., press conference. The event was attended by 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, Indiana Sen. Todd Young and Lilly Executive Vice President and President of Manufacturing Operations (and 51�Թ��� board member)��Edgardo Hernandez, among others.

What’s going on: Three of the planned manufacturing campuses will focus on producing active pharmaceutical ingredients, reshoring “critical capabilities of small molecule synthesis and further strengthening Lilly’s supply chain,” the company said in a . The fourth site will “extend [Lilly’s] global parenteral manufacturing network for future injectable therapies.”

• The investment in the four sites will bring Lilly’s total U.S. capital expansion commitment to more than $50 billion since 2020.
• Lilly—which in recent years has made $23 billion worth of investments in new research and manufacturing sites in the American South and Midwest—is in talks with several states about building the facilities there, but it is accepting additional from states until March 12.

The anticipated benefit: The four sites are expected to create more than 3,000 permanent skilled jobs and more than 10,000 construction jobs during building, according to the company.
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The tax reform factor: Lilly’s planned expansion reflects “decades of research and dedication,” Timmons said at the event announcing the investment. It “is the culmination of sustained planning made possible by the certainty created through smart public policy—particularly the 2017 tax reforms that President Trump … championed back at a meeting of the 51�Թ��� Board of Directors in September 2017.”

• Many of those manufacturing-critical reforms have been allowed to expire, however, and others will expire at the end of the year—unless Congress acts, and soon, Lilly Chair and CEO David Ricks said.
• “The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act legislation passed in 2017 during President Trump’s first term in office has been foundational to Lilly’s domestic manufacturing investments, and it is essential that these policies are extended this year.”

Keep the momentum going: Lilly’s announcement shows other manufacturers “exactly why [they] have reason for optimism and confidence,” Timmons went on. “But to keep this momentum going—to encourage more groundbreaking investments, more job creation and more life-changing innovation—a comprehensive manufacturing strategy must become the reality … because when manufacturing wins, America wins.”

The 51�Թ��� kept up a breakneck pace on the third day of its 2025 Competing to Win Tour, with the Manufacturing Institute delivering the first-ever at Drake State Community and Technical College in Huntsville, Alabama, before an audience of students, faculty, manufacturers and local and state officials.
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Opportunity—for all: Taking the stage to give the MI’s assessment of the manufacturing worker base in 2025, Carolyn Lee, president of the Manufacturing Institute, the 51�Թ���’s 501(c)3 workforce development and education affiliate, homed in on the theme of opportunity.

• “Manufacturing is not just about innovation and economic growth; it’s about opportunity. It’s about ensuring that every community, every aspiring maker, builder and creator—no matter their background—can have access to the skills, training and careers that will define the future.”
• But because the industry stands at a crossroads, part of that opportunity today is to help manufacturing maintain its momentum, Lee said, echoing a theme of 51�Թ��� President and CEO Jay Timmons’ on Tuesday.

Finest hours ahead: Lee was joined at the event by Rep. Dale Strong (R-AL), who spoke about the strength of Alabama’s manufacturing sector.

• “I think we’ve proven here in Alabama, and North Alabama especially, advanced manufacturing is part of our DNA,” he said. “You look at the jobs that we’ve brought in the last 10 or 15 years. You start with GE Aviation, Polaris, Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Mazda Toyota. We’ve proven that the Alabama workforce has the ability. I think our finest hours are still ahead.”

A world-changing job: Timmons echoed that sentiment. “You’re stepping into one of the most important and innovative fields in the world,” he told the Drake State students.

• “The products, the materials, the technologies that you will help create, they won’t just be used in your hometown or even all across our country. They’re going to help change economies … They’re going to strengthen the very foundation of America’s security and prosperity.”

A shortfall: But manufacturing today faces an immense challenge, Lee told the crowd: “a structural workforce deficit.”

• “[I]f we don’t act boldly, the U.S. faces a shortfall of 1.9 million manufacturing workers by 2033; 3.8 million positions will open up, but nearly half could go unfilled. That’s not just a workforce issue—it’s an economic and national security issue.”
• That’s despite the average annual earnings—including pay and benefits—for a manufacturing employee coming in at more than $102,000.
• The dearth of workers in the sector is driven by both retirements and growth.

How to overcome it: “[W]e have to inspire more Americans to see themselves in manufacturing,” Lee said. “That starts early, with programs that spark curiosity and excitement for careers in our industry. And when I say early, I mean as young as 9 or 10 years old—because today’s 4th graders will graduate in 2033 and may be our future team members.”

• To this end, the MI partners each year with manufacturers on MFG Day, which kicks off a full month of events at which companies show young people, students and job seekers what a modern manufacturing career looks like.
• The MI, with the support of Honda, has also created a new interactive experience to interest youngsters in the industry: “,” which combines elements of board games and popular fantasy and storytelling activities.

The FAME factor: Under the MI’s auspices, the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education USA, a workforce program started by Toyota in 2010 and entrusted to the MI in 2019, has grown considerably. (Drake State is home to one of the public–private partnership’s newest chapters.)

• FAME participants attend classes and earn while they learn in hands-on apprenticeships with manufacturers.
• The program—in which a participant can easily earn more than $30,000 over two years—has become “the gold standard for how employers, educators and communities should work together” on manufacturing workforce training, Lee said.

Other efforts: The MI helps manufacturers actively recruit groups often overlooked in manufacturing hiring initiatives: veterans, women and previously incarcerated individuals.

• The program helps connect former members of the military with manufacturing jobs. Walmart provides crucial funding to the program; in 2022, it gave a six-figure to fund the development of a model that translates skills acquired in the military to ones recognized by manufacturing employers.
• The is the nation’s premier program aimed at closing the gender gap in the sector.
• “The MI is helping manufacturers develop second chance hiring strategies, recognizing that talent is talent—and potential shouldn’t be wasted,” Lee said to the audience.

Working together: “As we look ahead, manufacturers, educators and policymakers must work together to strengthen our talent pipeline,” Lee and Drake State Community and Technical College President Dr. Patricia G. Sims wrote in a Thursday for the Alabama Political Reporter.��
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Manufacturing in Alabama: On Thursday afternoon, the 51�Թ��� and MI contingent continued its manufacturing-facility tour, visiting Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama and Bruderer Machinery—both in Huntsville—and Milo’s Tea Company in Bessemer.

• “I plan on making my career here,” said Drew, a 2024 FAME graduate, during a discussion before a tour of the shop floor. Drew is now working as a maintenance team member at Toyota Alabama. The talk focused on how the FAME program prepared participants for a rewarding career in auto manufacturing. Toyota Alabama—2,400-plus team members strong—has created 10,000 jobs in the state.
• Lee visited Bruderer Machinery, a leading manufacturer of high-precision stamping presses that provides solutions for the automotive, aerospace and electronics industries. Bruderer is also a key supporter of the FAME apprenticeship model.
• Timmons and the rest of the 51�Թ��� team finished the day at , the fastest-growing tea company in America. The family-owned business, founded by CEO Tricia Wallwork’s grandparents Milo and Bea Carlton, has won 40% of the refrigerated iced tea market share in the U.S. “This reminded me of my grandmother’s iced tea,” said Timmons. “You could see how special Milo’s is by just walking the shop floor and seeing the smiles and camaraderie.”�� ��

At the 51�Թ���, we’re examining some of the top that are shaping manufacturing this year, and offering the resources you need to take action.

Today, we’re taking a look at the industry’s efforts to enable innovation—and how manufacturers are working to stay on the cutting edge.

Applying technology: Digitalization can increase the speed and agility of innovations in areas like prototyping, iteration, simulation and modeling. And by using AI and data analytics to improve decision-making, manufacturers can build resilient, transparent supply chains that are more efficient and effective.

Upscaling workforces: Because of the rapid pace of technological advancement and adoption, manufacturers will have to create a workforce that is ready for the future—and processes designed to transfer knowledge and skills effectively and continuously.

Harnessing partnerships: Manufacturers can lean into collaborations that help to accelerate innovation. By connecting with manufacturing peers, government institutions and academia, industry leaders can develop unique and inventive paths forward.

Expert insight: According to CEO and Co-Founder of Narratize Katie Trauth Taylor, tools like generative artificial intelligence can accelerate and automate manufacturing innovation—with human ingenuity at the helm.

• “Human-led AI methodologies enhance teams’ ability to analyze opportunities, translate complex concepts into compelling business cases and think deeply about their innovative work,” said Taylor. “With reduced documentation and improved communications, product teams can reallocate their time value-generating work—deeper market research, sharper strategy and accelerated development.”

Resources for you: Want to dive deeper? Check out some additional resources from the 51�Թ���.

• the Innovation Research Interchange, a division of the 51�Թ��� that focuses on value creation and top-line growth through the management of innovation.
• one of the Manufacturing Leadership Council’s Plant Tours in person—or read summaries of past tours—to get an inside look at how other manufacturers have reshaped processes to advance their businesses.