The trends that were already underway in manufacturing—including digital manufacturing, software for blue-collar workers, 3D printing at scale, and robotics and automation—accelerated during the coronavirus pandemic. Here are seven of our favorite stories from 2020.
AMP Robotics' Matanya Horowitz
Joe Friend for ForbesRise Of The Recycling Robots
As robots spread from vacuuming to industrial uses, this story profiled venture-backed startup AMP Robotics, which is coming for the nation’s 67 million tons of glass, plastic and paper waste.
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Inside A Silicon Valley Unicorn’s Dash To 3D-Print Face Shields And Test Swabs To Battle Covid-19
We got the scoop on the efforts by 3D-printing unicorn Carbon to design new test swabs when they were in short supply.
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Mirror's Brynn Putnam
Jamel Toppin for ForbesHow A Former Ballerina Turned Mirror Into A Buzzy $300 Million Exercise Phenomenon
We profiled Brynn Putnam and her interactive workout device in the spring, when it was on track for $100 million in revenue for the year. Soon after, she agreed to sell to Lululemon for $500 million.
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How Old-School Manufacturers Learned To Make Ventilators—Virtually Overnight
In the spring, with ventilators in short supply, we delved into the efforts by Ford, GM, Xerox and others to turn their factories over to production of these life-saving machines.
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How Two Young Scientists Built A $250 Million Business Using Yeast To Clean Up Wastewater
A new crop of founders is using new processes to make old-school products better. Case in point: Solugen’s scientists are using enzymes and yeast to make more effective industrial chemicals that can scrub pools, hot tubs and even oil and gas companies’ wastewater.
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Prose's Arnaud Plas
Tony Luong for ForbesWhy One Entrepreneur Thinks Millions Of Americans Will Spend $25 On His Personalized Shampoo
Prose’s Arnaud Plas is betting on a custom machine from France to turn his niche manufacturing operation into a beauty behemoth. He’s one of an increasing number of entrepreneurs who see the ability to mass-produce personalized products as the future of manufacturing.
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The Covid Vaccine Will Require Billions Of Tiny Glass Vials—And This Italian Billionaire Family Is Making Them
The Stevanto Group, which started out crafting specialty bottles for perfume and wine, is positioned to profit from packaging pandemic cures.
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