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particularly when other countries are . The third pillar is innovation . It ’ s about using technology to make new ideas come to life . It ’ s relentlessly looking at your products , services , and ways of working and seeking to make them better — that ’ s where the opportunities lie . The final element is leadership . We need bold leadership at every level to lead the world in smart manufacturing . It ’ s crucial for leadership to be prepared to take risks . From creating a better culture or paying people more to investing in technology , whatever the change , ownership needs to take a risk . The Blueprint is designed to motivate and inspire manufacturing leaders to take risks .
Championing the sector
“ Northeast Ohio is approximately 50 percent dependent on manufacturing and 95 percent of those companies are small . The region ’ s other industries , such as healthcare , education , insurance , and finance are conversely dominated by very large companies . In terms of the community , the best way for us to lead is to help the smaller companies , without which we would be nowhere as an economy ,” Ethan explains .
“ If we don ’ t lock arms , community by community , then nothing will change . From talent acquisition to improved pay , while there are many industry barriers to overcome , fundamentally , the greatest is the need for systemic change . From my observation of technology adoption , it ’ s quite complex . Until recently , if an organization was assessing the costs versus benefits of upgrading to a new machine , a decision would have been relatively straightforward . When we consider modern technology , however , we ’ re in a totally different realm . Figuring out how robotics fit into the flow of an organization ’ s operations , for example , requires much greater consideration , and time and expertise that perhaps simply isn ’ t available . Again , many of these challenges are also underpinned by leadership ’ s willingness to take risks .
Supporting systemic change
“ If everybody ’ s mindset shifted ,” he continues , “ then many of these issues would be resolved . Many manufacturers we talk to are generally unwilling to pay for expertise , whether internal or external . One of the reasons the MEP exists is to change mindsets and enable manufacturers to get outside help . We aim to provide the same sort of expertise that large companies can access , but fundamentally at a price point that smaller organizations are prepared to pay . I don ’ t believe we will get that full mindset shift but we ’ re working on it . If a certain technology has been adopted by a neighboring manufacturer , then we ’ ll take other manufacturers to that facility to showcase the benefits of adoption . We call these facilities lighthouses . If seeing the technology in action spurs adoption , then we ’ ll show manufacturers how they can replicate it in their own environments .”
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