While the American medtech industry is thriving, it still must deal with challenges that include higher production costs, finding skilled staff and the ongoing issues innate to a highly regulated sector. Then there are global concerns such as competition, funding and the high cost of research. With Europe and the United States being the key markets, many U.S. medtech firms have located some of their operations in Ireland in order to take advantage of an established, flourishing life sciences sector, strong governmental support and easy access to the lucrative European market. Among the more than 300 companies with Irish facilities are Boston Scientific, Abbott, Vistakon, Medtronic, Teleflex, Stryker, Cook Medical, Zimmer Biomet, DePuy Synthes, Hollister, and BD. The medtech field in Ireland employs more than 32,000 people, which is the highest per capita in Europe. One-quarter of the world’s diabetics — 30 million people — rely on an injectable device manufactured in Ireland, while half of all ventilators used by acute hospitals worldwide are also made there. Meanwhile, three-quarters of global orthopedic knee products were produced in Ireland. There are several important reasons why American medtech companies have been choosing Ireland as their European base of operations, benefiting from Ireland’s manufacturing expertise, R&D facilities, pool of trained workers, data analysis skills, collaboration between companies, financial advantages, and regulatory advantages.
Read More →Managing the Talent Pipeline: A New Approach to Closing the Skills Gap
America’s education and workforce systems are failing to keep pace with the economy and the new skill sets it requires. The ‘skills gap’ is the disconnect between what skills employers need and what prospective employees are prepared to do. We have people without jobs and jobs that can’t find the right people U.S. employers are increasingly reporting problems finding qualified workers. A poll of 500 American executives by staffing solutions company Adecco found that 92 percent of executives believe there is a serious gap in workforce skills, and nearly 50 percent are struggling to fill jobs. In manufacturing alone, more than 75 percent of manufacturers report a moderate-to-severe shortage of skilled workers, according to a recent study by Accenture and the Manufacturing Institute.
Read More →Precise Engineering, Quality Construction: How World Class Facilities Get Built
The Austin Company has been serving the manufacturing industry for over 140 years. Today, they continue to provide state-of-the-art facility and equipment design and construction solutions for manufacturers of a wide range of products, including aerospace and automotive, chemical processing, food processing, and laboratory facilities. In advance of our American Manufacturing Summit, we interviewed Matt Eddleman, a Senior Vice President at The Austin Company and asked him the following: How have manufacturing facilities evolved in recent years? What are some notable projects you have worked on over the years with The Austin Company? What was a particularly challenging project you worked on and how did The Austin Company overcome the challenges you were presented with? What do you think is unique about the way The Austin Company operates or approaches a project? What are the main goals you seek to achieve when taking on a project? How do you go about doing this? How do you align site selection and design with a client’s strategic goals? What in-house subject matter expertise does The Austin Company have and how does that help create complex facilities unique to specific industries or products? Click through to read the entire interview.
Read More →Five Premium Manufacturing Facilities, from Bakery Production to Heavy Industrial Manufacturing
The Austin Company offers a comprehensive portfolio of in-house services, including planning, architectural design, engineering, design-build, construction management, and construction, as well as site location and operations improvement consulting, for commercial and industrial companies throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. In advance of the American Manufacturing Summit, we asked them to highlight some of their favorite manufacturing facilities they have worked on across different industries, from bakery production to heavy industrial manufacturing.
Read More →Q&A with Intermex Industrial Parks: Sourcing Challenges and Solutions for Manufacturers in North America
In this Q&A eBook, find out how to thrive in an industry where production costs are soaring and the competition is cutthroat. Also, learn how to become a lean organization, thrive in a fast-paced world, enhance quality, and apply strategic sourcing operations. If North American manufacturers want to outsource, leaders have to change their mindset to adapt to a worldwide view and use geographic diversity to their advantage. When a company is doing well and the idea of change comes up, it may be difficult to allow that in a culture of complacency. -Intermex Find out more about sourcing challenges and solutions for manufacturers in North America from Intermex in the Q&A eBook below!
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