The idea is to knit together manufacturing, design, prototyping and production, said Michael Idelchik. “We believe that rather than a sequential process where you look at product design and then how to manufacture it, there is a simultaneous process…we think it is key for sustaining our long-term competitive advantage.”
“High-Tech Factories Built to Be Engines of Innovation” via The New York Times
Rapid and iterative design and development is not only important in software, it is a key component in high-tech manufacturing. If the trend of shipping manufacturing overseas continues, the US will lose its ability to innovate, affecting all sectors of our economy.
Source: The New York Times