The Paulson Institute and McKinsey & Company jointly convened a second workshop in Chicago on October 25, 2013 to advance the Institute’s initiative on the future of manufacturing, with a focus on cross-border investment and the changing relationship between production and innovation.
The goals of this latest workshop were three-fold: (1) to use our previous discussion with Chinese CEOs and investors as a springboard to invigorate a discussion with major US companies about the current state and future needs of American manufacturing; (2) to “road test” initial investment models with workshop participants to determine what makes sense and what will not work; and (3) to incorporate new ideas and critiques into the development of more robust investment models that will work for investors and companies on both sides.
As part of its initiative on the future of manufacturing, The Paulson Institute aims to identify areas where a serious commercial case for cross-border investment exists, including for Chinese investment in the United States, and where the underlying economics and politics are supportive. This work also examines constraints and obstacles. The end goal in conducting these discussions and then developing potential investment models is to help firms in the United States and China identify trends, scope opportunities, and fashion creative and future-oriented partnerships. Future workshops will likely take place around the country, including the San Francisco Bay area and in the Great Lakes region.
Henry M. Paulson, Jr., chairman of the Paulson Institute, moderated the workshop, which was attended by, among others, Michael Cadigan, General Manager of the IBM Microelectronics, Systems and Technology Group; Chip Hills, Vice President, Apple Inc.; Carol Williams, Executive Vice President Manufacturing & Engineering, Supply Chain and Environmental, Health and Safety (EH&S) Operations, The Dow Chemical Company; Carl-Martin Lindahl, Vice President, Corporate Strategy & Business Development, Whirlpool Corporation; Du Lijun, President, Nanshan America; Pin Ni, President, Wanxiang America Corporation; Don Hillebrand, Director, Center for Transportation Research, Division Director, Energy Systems, Argonne National Laboratory. The McKinsey team included senior professionals and directors from its New Jersey, Washington, DC, and Chicago offices.
