Which Advanced Industries Are Driving the Nation's Economy? You Might Be Surprised

Feb. 3, 2015

Manufacturing is high technology proves recent research.

Manufacturing industries dominate a new list of "America's Advanced Industries," according to a new report from The Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program.

Few public policy leaders would argue with the contention that high-technology is the surest and fastest way to grow a company or a nation, but too many misunderstand what "high-technology" really means -- it means manufacturing.

Special Report: IndustryWeek's Coverage and Analysis of "America's Advanced Industries"

The research findings are a significant step toward educating America's public policy leaders that they must understand how manufacturing, and other advanced industries identified in the report, have been and always will be a cornerstone of the nation's high-technology future -- a source of broad-based, high-quality jobs and "the country's best shot at supporting innovative, inclusive and sustainable growth.

In conducting the research, Brookings set out to identify the industries that are critical to America's future, identifying "the nation's 'tech' sector at its broadest and most consequential."

The industries they identified are those that "invest heavily in technology innovation and employ skilled technical workers to develop, diffuse, and apply new technologies to enhance firm productivity."

Manufacturers on the Advanced Industries (AI) list employed 5.5 million, which was 44% of total employment in the AI, and had an annual growth rate of 3%. (Data is latest available, 2013)

Take a look at the 35 manufacturing industries that made the list.

Read the full report: "America's Advanced Industries:What They Are, Where They Are, and Why They Matter"

About the Author

Patricia Panchak | Patricia Panchak, Former Editor-in-Chief

Focus: Competitiveness & Public Policy

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In her commentary and reporting for IndustryWeek, Editor-in-Chief Patricia Panchak covers world-class manufacturing industry strategies, best practices and public policy issues that affect manufacturers’ competitiveness. She delivers news and analysis—and reports the trends--in tax, trade and labor policy; federal, state and local government agencies and programs; and judicial, executive and legislative actions. As well, she shares case studies about how manufacturing executives can capitalize on the latest best practices to cut costs, boost productivity and increase profits.

As editor, she directs the strategic development of all IW editorial products, including the magazine, IndustryWeek.com, research and information products, and executive conferences.

An award-winning editor, Panchak received the 2004 Jesse H. Neal Business Journalism Award for Signed Commentary and helped her staff earn the 2004 Neal Award for Subject-Related Series. She also has earned the American Business Media’s Midwest Award for Editorial Courage and Integrity.

Patricia holds bachelor’s degrees in Journalism and English from Bowling Green State University and a master’s degree in Journalism from Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. She lives in Cleveland Hts., Ohio, with her family.