Matt Watson |
Director, Polaris MEP
1. How does the manufacturing economy in New York compare with Rhode Island? What ideas do you plan to apply from your experience in New York? Both New York and Rhode Island are focused on supporting manufacturing. I am extremely impressed about the collaborative approach occurring across Rhode Island to provide support for manufacturers. … Much of my focus [in New York] was on identifying gaps in assistance for manufacturers and piecing together partnerships or creating new initiatives to address those gaps. I am continuing that work here.
2. What national or regional resources can Rhode Island utilize that aren’t in place? The federal government is releasing large funding opportunities on a regular basis to drive economic policy and make us more self-sufficient as a country. Polaris MEP and Rhode Island … are well positioned to pursue these opportunities to help position our manufacturers to be leaders in the state and country.
3. What recent technological advancements have taken place in the manufacturing sector and how can they impact Rhode Island? Examples include additive manufacturing becoming more precise, enabling the mixing of different materials, using recycled materials, etc.; advanced materials are replacing toxic or environmentally harmful materials, making lighter and stronger products and making us less reliant on overseas supplies; [and] automation is becoming easier to incorporate into production lines while improving employee safety. Some of these advances can help alleviate workforce challenges through making production more efficient, while others can lead to localizing supply chains.
4. How would you describe Rhode Island’s manufacturing workforce and its needs?We need more workers. Our workforce is aging, and in prior decades, we weren’t emphasizing manufacturing education and training for the next generation of workers. There are a lot of great organizations in Rhode Island focused on addressing this. Polaris MEP has been working with partners at the Rhode Island Manufacturers Association, colleges, universities, high schools and … state government to try a lot of different ideas.
5. What is the most pressing challenge the Rhode Island manufacturing community currently faces? We recently published the “State of Manufacturing Rhode Island,” which highlights the results of a survey we did. As part of this survey, manufacturers identified factors limiting their growth. The top three factors are people, developing new markets and business costs.
