First Rhode Island Manufacturing sector-specific report will explore impact on Ocean State economy, workforce issues, and plans for innovation and growth
Providence, RI – November 10, 2021 – Non-profit consulting group Polaris MEP is launching an in-depth study of trends in the state’s manufacturing sector. The 2022 “State of RI Manufacturing Study” will include analysis of the sector’s economic impacts and a comprehensive survey of Ocean State manufacturers.
“The manufacturing sector covers the state of Rhode Island and employs nearly 1 in 10 of all private sector workers. The sector is almost always referenced in other economic reports,” said Kathie Mahoney, Polaris MEP Center Director, “however we believe this is the first study to focus exclusively on the trends driving the sector – the challenges of today and opportunities of the future.”
The study aims to uncover insights into how Ocean State manufacturers can transform with talent, technology and strategic support.
Polaris MEP is an affiliate of the national NIST Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership and a non-profit business unit of the University of Rhode Island Research Foundation. Its mission is to strengthen and empower RI’s small and medium-sized manufacturers.
Mahoney noted that the majority of the state’s manufacturers are small businesses. 86.5% of RI manufacturing companies employ fewer than 50 people. “We want to hear directly from the small-business owners what they need to both survive and thrive in the next 10 plus years.”
Central to the Study is an online survey of Rhode Island manufacturers. Senior executives will have the opportunity to respond to questions about their workforce, growth trajectory, obstacles to success and plans for innovation. Manufacturing companies owners and senior executives can take the survey at https://go.polarismep.org/somri.
Insights from the survey will be featured in the final Study. The report is expected to be published in early 2022.
Mahoney said that Points Consulting has been hired to lead the data collection and analysis. Points Consulting conducts impact studies which answer complex economic questions. Points Consulting clients include economic development boards and government agencies across 29 states. Polaris MEP partners for the study include Rhode Island Commerce, the Rhode Island Manufacturers Association and RI HUB.
For more information about the State of RI Manufacturing Study, email info@polarismep.org.
To subscribe to updates about the study, including notice when the report is published, register at https://polarismep.org/state-of-ri-manufacturing-study/.
About Polaris MEP
Polaris MEP provides competitive business improvement programs to grow Rhode Island’s manufacturing industry. Polaris MEP is a statewide nonprofit organization. An affiliate of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST MEP), the consultancy is a business unit of the URI Research Foundation. www.PolarisMEP.org
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