More than microchips: Arizona’s blueprint for building a high-tech workforce

The two projects, totally more than $35 million in funding, aim to strengthen the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) through additive manufacturing and advanced manufacturing technologies.

A recent Middle Market Growth Conversations podcast features Bryan Wright, national manufacturing sector leader at Forvis Mazars, sharing insights from a new survey that shows strong optimism among manufacturing executives for growth in 2026 despite ongoing pressures like supplier cost increases and tariffs. Wright discusses how manufacturers are prioritizing strategies they can control, such as pricing, customer and product expansion, operational efficiency, and targeted technology investments like modern ERP systems. He also highlights the growing role of AI and automation, how talent challenges are being approached, and why resilient M&A activity, especially add-on deals, could strengthen in the year ahead.

U.S. Department of Labor announced the availability of nearly $81 million to assist people re-entering their communities after incarceration.

GlobalFoundries and RPI have deepened their long-standing partnership to strengthen semiconductor research, education, and workforce development. The agreement includes new faculty positions, support for a Semiconductor Scholars Program, and expanded collaboration to help build up the pipeline of talent needed for advanced manufacturing.

A Manufacturing Dive report highlights findings from the 21st annual KPMG Global Semiconductor Outlook survey that show tariffs and trade policy have become the top concern for semiconductor manufacturing leaders, overtaking talent and labor challenges for the first time. About half of executives are focused on diversifying and strengthening supply chains to manage geopolitical risks, while strong demand from AI and data center markets has most leaders expecting revenue growth in 2026. The article also notes that strategies to boost domestic capacity and incentives like the CHIPS and Science Act play a role in how companies are navigating policy and investment decisions amid ongoing uncertainty.