POLITICS:

The Biden administration’s revised infrastructure plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework, focuses in part on EV infrastructure, and funds to improve airports, roads, bridges, public transit and construction projects. At this point, it is unclear which of these priorities will remain if or when the proposal passes into law.

SOCIAL:

Younger generations of workers are less interested in careers in the manufacturing industry, with estimates showing that 60% of future manufacturing jobs may go unfilled. Manufacturing leaders should prioritize attracting and educating young talent in order to secure the industry’s future.

ENVIRONMENT:

A new weed-killing robot is in development in the UK. Rather than using chemicals, the robot sends a current through weeds and kills them, providing a potential way forward to more environmentally friendly farming method.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:

What you can’t do: fix your employees’ existential crisis. What you can do: help alleviate it. Harvard Business Review has some tips on how to do so.

ECONOMIC:

There are over two million manufacturing jobs unfilled in the U.S., and digital manufacturing technology may be able to assist, substituting automated processes for on-the-ground workers.

TECHNOLOGY:

AI technology continues to develop and find diverse applications across the manufacturing industry. Pitney Bowes Inc. will deploy AI-powered automated parcel sorting systems across the U.S. over the next five years, reducing operational costs and automating tasks known to lead to high employee turnover.

LEGAL:

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the PennEast Pipeline Company LLC, setting a precedent that allows interstate pipelines with federal approval to seize state-owned lands, even without that state’s consent. New Jersey will continue to fight the PennEast project.