Innovation is required if the U.S. is to regain the level of productivity that it enjoyed toward the end of the 19th Century through the mid-20th Century. However, innovation by itself is not enough. Just as our parents and grandparents adopted electricity, the automobile, credit cards and airplanes in the period from 1870-1950, businesses and organizations of the 21st Century must embrace change.

There has been increased interest in the clinical trials supply chain, according to Michael Wallace, life sciences industry specialist with Oracle Corp., and Arun Cavale, principal with NexInfo.

Before Jeff Piccolomini joined Henkel Corp. in 1997, he was dubious about corporate efforts to address environmental concerns - a "typical skeptical CFO," as he puts it. A CPA by training and a longtime finance executive, Piccolomini wasn't accustomed to dealing with the kind of green goals that the German-owned personal-care company had set in motion, such as reducing carbon emissions.

It's common practice for companies to view cold-chain management systems for pharmaceutical and bio-technology products as point solutions, whether related to packaging, training or carrier services, says Gary M. Hutchinson, president of Modality Solutions. Integration of all those elements, however, results in a "much more holistic system," he says. "You maintain product quality all the way from manufacturer to point of use. Until you integrate it into one system, you're not tackling it properly."

Labelmaster, a manufacturer and distributor of products for complying with rules for the handling of hazardous materials, has released a GHS (Globally Harmonized System) Product Guide, to help companies meet the newly revised Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Pushing the limits of an aging infrastructure, U.S. manufacturers face a future of increasing costs and instability unless new technologies and new investments can rejuvenate the system.