Episode 41: Building Manufacturing Ecosystems to Succeed in an Uncertain World with Dr. Nikhil Kalathil
It was a real pleasure to welcome Dr. Nikhil Kalathil to the Manufacturing in the American Century podcast. Nikhil earned his PhD from Carnegie Mellon in Engineering and Public Policy, and serves as a Senior Advisor of Ecosystem Assessment to AMCC. He brings a rare combination of engineering background and policy focus to the challenge of rebuilding U.S. manufacturing capacity. His work focuses on understanding regional manufacturing ecosystems and why certain places succeed in producing priority products that matter for economic resilience and national security.
In our conversation, we dig into what makes manufacturing uniquely well-positioned for deep federal policy and ecosystem-building activities: it has measurable inputs and outputs, requires coordination across complex systems, and generates powerful spillover benefits for workers, firms, and regions. Nikhil walks through the core elements of healthy manufacturing ecosystems, including workforce, innovation, infrastructure, supply chains, trade, and capital access, and explains how agglomeration, visibility, and regional fit shape real-world outcomes.
Our conversation ended with Nikhil giving a grounded but hopeful charge for the field. In a moment defined by uncertainty, the smartest path forward for regions is to make bets that reduce risk by aligning state leadership, federal support, manufacturers, suppliers, universities, and startups around clear, mission-driven goals. When regions coalesce around shared conviction and a belief in what they are building, the noise of shifting markets matters less. Technologies, policies, and signals will always change, but building tangible things that improve people’s lives endures. Thanks Nikhil for all your work and contributions to the field!
🔗Links to Learn More:
- Find Nikhil on LinkedIn.
- Read Nikhil’s recent publications.
- Learn about CMU’s Critical Technology Initiative.
- Follow AMCC on Linkedin.
- Find Matt on Linkedin.
- Visit our website.
AMCC’s podcast is made possible in part by the expertise of Mike McAllen, founder of Podcasting4Associations. Are you part of an association also looking to produce a podcast? Let us get you in touch with Mike.
Thank you to the Economic Development Administration for their partnership in producing this podcast. This podcast was prepared in part using Federal funds under award 3070145 from the Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Economic Development Administration or the U.S. Department of Commerce.
