Foresight

Anders Billesø Beck, vice president of Strategy and Innovation at Universal Robots, thinks collaborative robots can help workers avoid injury and drudgery. Here’s how this “ideal tool” could transform tomorrow’s factories.

In the information age, consumers have an unprecedented degree of insight on what they buy and how it’s made. That raises the stakes for manufacturers, says Jennifer Bender, associate partner at Ipsos Strategy3.

Buying American-made isn’t just about sustainability — it’s an opportunity to invest in quality and community, says Rob McMillan, founder of the direct-to-consumer clothing brand Dearborn Denim.

Ipsos’ Trent Ross explains where Americans’ ESG priorities lie — and why brands and businesses should be paying attention.

How can manufacturers prepare for the unpredictable? Scott DeGroot, vice president of Global Distribution and Planning at Kimberly-Clark Corporation, discusses how strategic foresight can shape flexible and durable supply chains.

Ipsos Strategy3’s Trevor Sudano looks at the changes in people, markets and society that will shape the future of manufacturing.

From whom and where to what and how, manufacturing is at an inflection point. What the Future Editor Matt Carmichael looks at the forces shaping the future of manufacturing, from labor to logistics to brand loyalty.

From heavy industry to homegrown businesses, manufacturing is part and parcel with modern living. But new innovations and logistical challenges could transform the field — with significant consequences for brands, businesses, institutions, and consumers.

Amber Jawaid, senior vice president with Ipsos’ Online Communities practice, analyzes teen entertainment preferences and the emotional factors behind them.