The Columbus Idea Foundry provides a glimpse of the future of manufacturing. The Idea Foundry is an expression of the maker movement, a renewed interest in things and objects, in making and manufacture, and in the skilled trades, which have been in decline over the past two generations.
Manufacturing at the Idea Foundry is smaller scale, based on batch processing, and on customizable, bespoke goods, not on the model of a giant factory with thousands of workers. In many ways, the Idea Foundry is a post-industrial enterprise that harkens back to pre-industrial patterns of manufacturing.
Where students now study computer science or software design, we could begin to see college students take the route toward manufacturing and making. That route, however, will not be the one that existed in the U.S. in the 1950s, where an 18-year old might graduate high school and the next day begin work in a factory. Todays manufacturing is hi-tech: look at the 3-D printers and other technologies found at the Idea Foundry. To operate such tools requires advanced skills.
The Massachusetts Department of Higher Education is already looking ahead to the workforce development needs for this advanced manufacturing. They announced their Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Plan in the Spring of 2015, which stated that [We must] look beyond the requirements of todays advanced manufacturing workforce to new and possibly higher-level competencies that will be required of the next generation workforce. While the current focus of workforce demand is centered on todays definition of the production manufacturing worker, accelerating advances in materials, technologies and supply chain processes will require a workforce with substantially new and different knowledge, skills and abilities to build the products of the future.
This means that four-year universities, not only technical and community colleges, must be geared up to train workers in advanced manufacturing skills.
As a measure of the high tech nature of manufacturing, much of what occurs in a factory is done by robots, machines and other forms of automation. Fewer workers monitor the technology that actually does the manufacturing.
Automation has always been the driving force in manufacturing after the Industrial Revolution: the historical trajectory has been the substitution of machines (capital) for human labor, and there is every reason to believe that long-term trend will continue unabated.
According to a McKinsey report, some 59 percent of all manufacturing activities could be automated, given technical considerationsWithin manufacturing, 90 percent of what welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers do, for example, has the technical potential for automation.
Returning manufacturing jobs from China and Mexico was a central feature of the Trump campaign, and indeed the President has taken some executive actions to reverse this and to bring some of these manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. But many economists have noted that job loss in manufacturing has been less the result of overseas outsourcing as it has from automation.
It is possible that President Trump will realize this reality, and if he remains committed to restoring manufacturing jobs, he might begin to institute policies to regulate automation. Might Trump insist that manufacturing be conducted by human laborers, else the companies using robots and other such technologies will be subject to taxes or other forms of retribution? Might consumers also begin to demand that the products they buy not only be Made in the USA but also Made by Human Hands? I think these are unlikely scenarios: it has been a truism of the Industrial Revolution that machines replace human labor, and I see no real challenge to that economic logic. But by the same token, some consumers have been demanding that foodstuffs not contain GMOs, and so it is possible that a similar sort of grass roots rejection of automated-manufactured goods could emerge.
We have long associated manufacturing with mechanical things: the production of automobiles, consumer goods, industrial materials. There is every reason to believe that the next phase of the Industrial Revolution will involve not only mechanical things but also the manufacture of biological objects.
Bioprinting is still in the experimental stage, but the technology promises the ability to print out living tissue, even human organs, through a process similar to the 3-D printers. Rather than printing off plastic objects, bioprinting involves spraying layer upon layer of cells in a manner similar to an ink-jet printer, thereby additively manufacturing living organs.
The initial uses for such biological objects will be for organic matter that will be used for drug testing. Rather than using lab animals, living human organsmanufactured organscan be tested instead. Some experiments have already produced manufactured arteries, and very soon manufactured liver cells might be injected into patients who are suffering from liver disease.
Ultimately, the goal is to be able to print an entirely new liver for a patient in need of a replacement. To work in this form of biological manufacturing will require advanced degrees in biology, chemistry and biological engineering.
All of this is by way of saying that manufacturing jobs in the future might just as likely involve the production of living, squishy, pulsating biological objects.
David Staley is president of Columbus Futuristsand a professor of history, design and educational studies at The Ohio State University. He is the host of CreativeMornings Columbus.
The next Columbus Futurists monthly forum will beThursday February 23 at 6:30 PMat the Panera Bread community room (875 Betel Rd.) Our topic for the evening will be Blockchain and the Future of the Internet.
Here is the original post:
NEXT: The Future of Manufacturing will be Driven by Automation and Bioengineering - columbusunderground
- Pushing back against drug-resistant bugs - January 22nd, 2014 [January 22nd, 2014]
- Unlocking The Mysteries Of The Cuttlefish's Camouflage - January 30th, 2014 [January 30th, 2014]
- 'Milestone' Therapy Produces Leg Movement in Paraplegics - April 9th, 2014 [April 9th, 2014]
- Innovative new therapy offers new hope for paraplegics - April 9th, 2014 [April 9th, 2014]
- Spinal stimulation helps 4 patients with paraplegia regain voluntary movement - April 9th, 2014 [April 9th, 2014]
- Using gooey caps and Bluetooth to keep Parkinsons patients moving - April 9th, 2014 [April 9th, 2014]
- Bioengineering | Clemson University, South Carolina - April 9th, 2014 [April 9th, 2014]
- The Bioengineering Group, Inc. - April 9th, 2014 [April 9th, 2014]
- Biological engineering - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - April 9th, 2014 [April 9th, 2014]
- Bioengineering Unravels the Mysteries of Life by Dennis Bahr, PhD, PE - Video - April 9th, 2014 [April 9th, 2014]
- Bioengineering Degree Programs - Video - April 9th, 2014 [April 9th, 2014]
- P-TECH schools slated to open in the mid-Hudson - April 15th, 2014 [April 15th, 2014]
- Stratospheric Aerosol Bioengineering - Video - April 15th, 2014 [April 15th, 2014]
- UCSD Bioengineering 20th Anniversary - Video - April 15th, 2014 [April 15th, 2014]
- The Alexander Grass Center for Bioengineering - Video - April 15th, 2014 [April 15th, 2014]
- Adam Arkin receives DOEs Lawrence Award for synthetic biology work - April 16th, 2014 [April 16th, 2014]
- Stanford scientists develop 'playbook' for reverse engineering tissue - April 16th, 2014 [April 16th, 2014]
- Rice professors discuss research in campus TEDx event - April 16th, 2014 [April 16th, 2014]
- Rice students work to bring deft touch to amputees - April 17th, 2014 [April 17th, 2014]
- Africa: Citizen Scientists Pitch New Uses for Paper Microscope - April 22nd, 2014 [April 22nd, 2014]
- Washington University students create medical innovations - April 24th, 2014 [April 24th, 2014]
- Stanford scientists create circuit board modeled on the human brain - April 29th, 2014 [April 29th, 2014]
- After Vermont Bill, GMO Labeling Becomes Center Of Debate On Bioengineering's Future - April 29th, 2014 [April 29th, 2014]
- Medical Bioengineering Device - Bone Marrow Extraction - Video - April 29th, 2014 [April 29th, 2014]
- New Invention Ensures Infants Receive Nutrients From Mothers Milk - May 2nd, 2014 [May 2nd, 2014]
- Jasmin Joseph is El Camino Real's softball-playing future scientist - May 2nd, 2014 [May 2nd, 2014]
- Experiment grows new muscle in mens injured legs - May 2nd, 2014 [May 2nd, 2014]
- Section 2 Team 1 Bioengineering 401 Project - Video - May 4th, 2014 [May 4th, 2014]
- Bioengineering - Video - May 4th, 2014 [May 4th, 2014]
- CI BioEngineering Glucose Monitoring - Video - May 4th, 2014 [May 4th, 2014]
- Factors in Transit Bus Ramp Slope and Wheelchair-Seated Passenger Safety - May 8th, 2014 [May 8th, 2014]
- For engineering students, it's senior presentation time - May 9th, 2014 [May 9th, 2014]
- Disease Can Change Waters Molecular Structure Reports Water Researcher and Bio Logic Aqua Founder Sharon Kleyne - May 9th, 2014 [May 9th, 2014]
- Kauais lab superstar - May 9th, 2014 [May 9th, 2014]
- Vermont Governor Signs Nation's First Unconditional GMO Labeling Bill - May 9th, 2014 [May 9th, 2014]
- BioEngineering 20th Anniversary - Video - May 9th, 2014 [May 9th, 2014]
- True identity of med student 'Elizabeth Raine' who planned so sell her virginity to highest bidder - May 10th, 2014 [May 10th, 2014]
- 2014 Alumni Cup - Bioengineering Team - Video - May 10th, 2014 [May 10th, 2014]
- BioEngineering Inversina powder Blender - Video - May 11th, 2014 [May 11th, 2014]
- $1m boost for UQ plastics technology - May 14th, 2014 [May 14th, 2014]
- Bioengineering - The Next Golden Age: Prem Sehgal at TEDxYouth@DAA - Video - May 16th, 2014 [May 16th, 2014]
- Faces of UCR Bioengineering c/o 2014 - Video - May 16th, 2014 [May 16th, 2014]
- Stanford research leads to new understanding of how cells grow and shrink - May 18th, 2014 [May 18th, 2014]
- Conducting polymer films decorated with biomolecules for cell research use - May 20th, 2014 [May 20th, 2014]
- Tiny Sheep: UC Berkeley Researchers Use Electricity to Herd Cells and, Potentially, Speed Up Healing - May 21st, 2014 [May 21st, 2014]
- Faculty inspire Howard grads to pursue Ph.D. at UC San Diego - May 22nd, 2014 [May 22nd, 2014]
- Lely graduate's dual enrollment at FGCU gives her head start into bioengineering career - May 24th, 2014 [May 24th, 2014]
- Montgomery High grads to study bioengineering, business - May 24th, 2014 [May 24th, 2014]
- Bioengineering Professor Looks for Ways to Prevent Chronic Diseases Connected with Aging Through His Research on the ... - May 28th, 2014 [May 28th, 2014]
- PLTW students from Hamilton Career present research projects - May 28th, 2014 [May 28th, 2014]
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute awards Rice $1.9 million for STEM innovation - May 31st, 2014 [May 31st, 2014]
- New global maps of livestock distribution - May 31st, 2014 [May 31st, 2014]
- Clemson University 3-Minute Thesis 3rd Place (tie), 2014, Hobey Tam (Bioengineering) - Video - June 1st, 2014 [June 1st, 2014]
- Shruti Vasudev - Bioengineering - Video - June 5th, 2014 [June 5th, 2014]
- Vanguard grad is Stanford-bound - June 7th, 2014 [June 7th, 2014]
- Dental Innovation Forum 2014 - Scientific Session (II) : Bioengineering and Stem Cells - Video - June 12th, 2014 [June 12th, 2014]
- 4 Bioengineering Tools for Cardiovascular Applications October 18, 2011 - Video - June 12th, 2014 [June 12th, 2014]
- Bioengineering and chemical engineering building at Stanford named for gifts from Ram and Vijay Shriram - June 14th, 2014 [June 14th, 2014]
- The Fourth Phase of Water Dr. Gerald Pollack, UW Professor of Bioengineering, at TEDxGuelphU - Video - June 15th, 2014 [June 15th, 2014]
- 2014 Triton 5K Bioengineering - Video - June 15th, 2014 [June 15th, 2014]
- New Blood Test May Help Detect Heart Transplant Rejection - June 21st, 2014 [June 21st, 2014]
- MU engineering dean will step down from position Sept. 1 - June 21st, 2014 [June 21st, 2014]
- UPDATE: MU engineering dean will step down from position Sept. 1 - June 21st, 2014 [June 21st, 2014]
- Stanford bioengineers improve upon football mouthguard that senses head impacts - June 21st, 2014 [June 21st, 2014]
- Sensor In Eye Could Watch For Glaucoma And Track Pressure Changes - June 22nd, 2014 [June 22nd, 2014]
- Penn Bioengineering Class of 2014 Slideshow - Video - June 22nd, 2014 [June 22nd, 2014]
- UCSC student honored for designing cancer drug - June 23rd, 2014 [June 23rd, 2014]
- Scientists Find Brain Circuit That Controls Social Behavior - June 23rd, 2014 [June 23rd, 2014]
- xDoperunnerx - Bioengineering Disease - Video - June 23rd, 2014 [June 23rd, 2014]
- Bioengineer receives $2.9 million grant to improve brain implants - June 24th, 2014 [June 24th, 2014]
- Business Briefs: 6/24/14 - June 24th, 2014 [June 24th, 2014]
- Stanford scientists tie social behavior to activity in specific brain circuit - June 24th, 2014 [June 24th, 2014]
- New Stanford blood test identifies heart-transplant rejection earlier than biopsy can - June 24th, 2014 [June 24th, 2014]
- C.C. Chu honored for bioengineering research - June 26th, 2014 [June 26th, 2014]
- Trinity institute raises 36 million for research - June 27th, 2014 [June 27th, 2014]
- Mutilate! - The 41 Cucumbers of Bioengineering - Video - June 27th, 2014 [June 27th, 2014]
- NIH-funded researchers extend liver preservation for transplantation - June 29th, 2014 [June 29th, 2014]
- Donor organs stored for four days in transplant breakthrough - June 30th, 2014 [June 30th, 2014]
- Tiny 'Bio-Bots' Walk Using Real Muscle Tissue - July 2nd, 2014 [July 2nd, 2014]
- Candidates sought for study to improve lung treatment for elderly - July 3rd, 2014 [July 3rd, 2014]