Report sponsors were the Aspen Institute's program on Manufacturing and Society in the 21st Century and the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation (MAPI). The economic model and expert advice used for the projections were provided by the University of Maryland's Interindustry Forecasting Project (Inforum).
"The robust results presented in the study are achievable with only modest acceleration of current trends, and none of the policy recommendations mark a radical departure from current policy trajectories," said report author Thomas J. Duesterberg, executive director of Aspen Institute's Manufacturing and Society program. "But they require a willingness to change in a disciplined way." Stephen Gold, MAPI President and CEO, agreed, and said, "With no changes in public policy, the manufacturing base will continue to shrink as a share of GDP as it has for the past decade. With just a few policy shifts, however, manufacturing in America can experience a resurgence that will ensure new innovation, increased productivity, more jobs, and a rise in living standards on our shores."
