November 2015

Microbes and manufacturing both have an image problem. Bacteria, yeast, and other microbial organisms make people think of dark, dirty, and undesirable places. So do outdated notions about factories. Most manufacturers know better, but how much do they really know about microbes? Thanks to recent advances, microbes could revolutionize industrial processes and change how some products are made.

Advanced technologies aren’t just remaking factories. They’re changing employer expectations, transforming business models, and overhauling educational requirements. Rapid prototyping was just the start. Today, manufacturers are using sophisticated software to debug product designs and develop new revenue streams. This requires more than just technology, however. Manufacturers need employees with the right mix of skills, including the ability to master multiple disciplines.

IT departments at large manufacturing companies support more than just front-office communications. They also monitor and maintain machine-to-machine (M2M) connections. Integration between production machinery and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems is critical, too, and it’s not just Operations that wants more accurate analytics. For smaller manufacturers, learning about the Internet of Things (IoT) could mean sampling two “flavors.” For their IT departments, there are multiple M2M factors to digest.

New York City’s industries account for 15% of private-sector employment in the Big Apple. With median wages of $50,400 per year, these manufacturing jobs are what the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) calls “an important pathway to the middle class.” Now, NYCEDC will help manage a public-private fund that offers low-interest loans to industrial startups. Along with a multi-million dollar Advanced Manufacturing Center, it’s part of NYC’s multi-faceted Industrial Action Plan.

Two years ago, Etsy surprised some members of the Maker Movement when it stopped requiring its sellers to produce their own products. Now, Etsy will help Makers find outsourcing partners through a new service called Etsy Manufacturing.