Could ‘Smart Factories’ Be the Way of the Future?

As the United States continues to become more and more competitive in the international manufacturing market, other countries are looking for ways to stay in the game. While different countries are taking many different approaches in order to do just that, one of the most interesting trends we’ve seen recently is the ‘smart factory,’ an idea […]

BMW Expanding Its South Carolina Plant Is a Good Sign for U.S. Manufacturing

Friday’s announcement of BMW’s expansion of a South Carolina plant “will mark another milestone for a factory that’s become a centerpiece of BMW’s global manufacturing strategy.” The manufacturing plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina started producing cars twenty years ago. Since then, the plant has expanded its production to be known as one of the industry’s […]

Can U.S. Manufacturers Learn from Other Countries About the Skills Gap?

In a lab in Germany, two Technical University of Munich students focused on engineering the BMW i3, which is BMW’s first zero emissions mass-produced vehicle due to its electric powertrain. The car also features carbon-fiber reinforced plastic to improve the vehicle’s energy consumption. All of this was designed and assembled by researchers, designers, and—wait for […]