With less than a week remaining until the U.S. presidential election, and in a year where supply chains and manufacturing have been top priorities, CEOs of manufacturing companies are calling on both candidates to promote innovation, technology, and automation.

I spoke with more than a dozen CEO and largely found frustration with the presidential candidates and their policies. The vast majority of these manufacturers view innovation and creativity as the secret that distinguishes the United States from many other countries, and leveraging creativity is the best path to achieving sustainable manufacturing success. This is what they had to say.

MTEK founder and CEO Mattias Andersson stated, “We believe smart policy is smart manufacturing.” “We have been working for some time to simplify smart manufacturing by unlocking the value of manufacturing data currently trapped in numerous silos. Regardless of location or political persuasion, investments and incentives should focus on creating digital transformation and supporting industries to the greatest extent, including automation, artificial intelligence, and all enabling technologies that make manufacturing competitive and future-ready.”

Ideally, government and business will collaborate to move toward digital transformation.

CloudNC founder and CEO Theo Saville said, “This type of technology production is high-risk, expensive, and time-consuming, requiring years and tens of millions of dollars to perfect.” “Without government support, the transition to autonomous manufacturing will slow down. But this support is worthwhile. Most manufacturing processes rely on human guidance of machinery, whereas through software, autonomy can deliver 10 to 100 times productivity.”

These manufacturers are not suggesting we simply spend money to solve problems. Investment must be strategic and aligned with promoting the United States to maintain its status as a center for innovation and digital disruption.

Fictiv founder and CEO Dave Evans stated, “Incentives must reflect the assets we have, the path we need to take, and the desired destination.” “They should leverage independent innovation, invest in the digital transformation of manufacturing, and aim for sustainable, high-paying manufacturing jobs.”

By leveraging the right technology, manufacturers can potentially capitalize on emerging business opportunities.

CalcuQuote CEO Chintan Sutaria stated, “We should focus on enhancing and diversifying our manufacturing capabilities, which will benefit service-oriented economies like the United States, where living standards and labor costs are higher.” “One way to achieve this is by investing in automation technology. Automation can improve the competitiveness of the U.S. electronics manufacturing industry and become a growing industry as we eventually deploy automation technology globally.”

Embracing digital technology and automating manufacturing processes will help the United States address the stumbling block of rising labor costs.

“The real solution is to embrace productivity through automation,” said Launchpad.build CEO Yoav Zingher. “The cost is low-wage, low-skill, high-turnover jobs. The benefit is the creation of higher-value, better-paid jobs. The required resources are innovation, technology investment, and proximity to consumers, and the United States is rich in these resources.”

Digital transformation is a key step toward allowing the United States to reclaim its leadership in manufacturing and reduce dependence on other regions.

Evans said, “Let us have the motivation to invest in digital transformation, let us drive a change suitable for the future and for an industry leading the world.” “The United States is a hotbed of innovation and creativity in almost every field, especially manufacturing. Embrace this, create the right environment for transformation, and we will create a manufacturing sector that the world envies.”

Bright Machines CEO Amar Hanspal is looking for investment in the industry and the people who work in it.

“To ensure factory success, a positive long-term strategy is required. This year, more than ever, we are reminded that localized production must be re-emphasized in our manufacturing policies to achieve more flexible and resilient production.” “This is something our nation excelled at in the past but lost over the years due to the rise of industrialization and globalization. Policies should encourage distributed manufacturing closer to customers while investing in advanced technologies that enable this shift. This is how today’s manufacturers can gain a true competitive advantage in a fragile global economy.”

Hanspal added, “…policies must prioritize investment in factory workers. Trade policies accelerated the offshoring of millions of manufacturing jobs, and this year COVID-19 placed greater pressure on workers by closing facilities and enforcing strict social distancing guidelines. Sustainable commitments should be made to promote the continuous development of qualified workers through retraining programs that can foster investment and expansion in high-tech manufacturing.

“Policies should include technology that allows remote work and prioritize standard and safe working conditions for manufacturers—allowing healthy competition to thrive in the global market. Ultimately, if the United States is to become a leader in environmental sustainability, a strong manufacturing sector is crucial, and the right measures should be taken to create a clean, green manufacturing future.”