To Innovate We Must Make
Article published on Inc. website, December 12, 2011
Is the U.S. losing its edge when it comes to innovation? According to many experts, the secret may lie in retaining and growing our manufacturing sector. John B. Rogers, Jr., co-founder and CEO of Local Motors, an American car company, writes a compelling article about innovation posted on Inc. magazine's website.
We face a skilled labor shortage in America because many engineering, technical, and scientific jobs are being outsourced overseas. According to the post, “The Department of Labor says that there are 4 million fewer people working in skilled-labor positions today than there were 20 years ago. That is meaningful when the entire construction industry in America boasts fewer than 8 million jobs total. And what is worse, fewer than one in 10 kids who are age 15 in the United States dream of having a highly skilled manufacturing job by the time they are 30.”
The reality is that we don't produce as many durable goods and new products as we used to. Rogers writes, “We don't make the stuff and we don't make the people who make the stuff — and until we do, we are going to have a crisis of innovation on a national scale.”
alliantgroup works every day with small and mid-sized manufacturing, engineering, construction, and architecture businesses in the U.S., helping them claim government-sponsored R&D tax credits. The government sets aside billions of dollars each year for R&D tax incentives. This is money businesses are entitled to – funds that make a big impact in keeping production and innovation alive in the U.S.
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