MxD has published its Outlook 2026-2028 report (formerly the Strategic Investment Plan), which assesses the current state of U.S. manufacturing and outlines MxD’s plans for modernizing and securing the U.S. industrial base in the coming years.
The Outlook was developed in collaboration with MxD’s member organizations, which include manufacturers, solution providers, academics, nonprofits, and U.S. Department of War partners. We are especially grateful for the insights and leadership of the MxD Executive Council and the Technical Advisory Committee.
A public version of the report is available here.
At MxD, the nation’s Digital Manufacturing and Cybersecurity Institute, we help manufacturers tackle complex challenges and improve productivity, as well as work to ensure the strength and resilience of the U.S. industrial base.
Global economic and geopolitical trends make this an exciting but challenging era. Manufacturers must keep pace with rapid technology advances, including artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. The reshoring of factories can scale when manufacturers modernize, but too many U.S. companies function with 20th century technology. At the same time, America’s rivals are growing increasingly sophisticated. MxD supports all manufacturing sectors, but our organization is sponsored by the U.S. Department of War because national security depends on technological prowess. The advances in AI, cybersecurity, workforce upskilling, and other fields that will keep U.S. manufacturers on the cutting edge are also key to the country’s defense. The work we do adds innovation and resilience to the factory economy.
Two exciting projects featured in this Outlook exemplify those pillars. They highlight our capacity to bring MxD stakeholders together to collaboratively solve problems by advancing innovation that will empower the manufacturing workforce.
In the first project, Siemens, MK Morse, and Kent Displays teamed up to create an AI-powered inspection system that more accurately identifies defects in the manufacturing process and quickly provides corrective actions — increasing productivity and efficiency on the factory floor.
In a separate project, MxD joined with Northrop Grumman, ScopeAR, and Ohio State University to transform the training of manufacturing workers. Leveraging AI, the project created augmented reality content to simulate the factory floor and incorporate training materials, which resulted in an improved and more efficient workforce training experience.
MxD’s secret sauce is our ability, as a neutral 3rd party, to bring together members to spur innovation. MxD’s success is never about us. It’s about improving the resilience and productivity of manufacturers, the industrial base, and the nation.
MxD hopes you find this report to be an insightful roadmap that sparks ideas for collaboration.
