Formally Plunkett's Manufacturing & Robotics Industry Almanac, this book presents a complete analysis of the manufacturing business, including such related areas as research and development (R&D), engineering and design, outsourcing, offshoring, factory automation and supply chain. The almanac also features in-depth coverage of robotics. This market research tool includes our analysis of the major trends affecting the global manufacturing industry, from the developments in firms' reshoring their manufacturing operations to the U.S., nearshoring to Mexico and Central America, rising wages in China, China's move to higher value manufacturing, and the movement of lower value manufacturing, such as apparel, to such nations as Pakistan and The Philippines. In addition, we provide major statistical tables covering the industry, from revenues to investment in R&D to employment to wages. No other source provides this book's easy-to-understand comparisons of growth, expenditures, technologies, imports/exports, corporations, research, and other vital subjects. You get our in-depth profiles on the top 500 global manufacturing and robotics companies--objective analysis of the largest and most exciting companies in: automotive manufacturing, steel and metals, telecommunications equipment, computer hardware and consumer electronics, contract manufacturing, chemicals, refining, aerospace, building materials and much, much more. We cover companies in all manufacturing sectors. You'll find a complete overview, industry analysis and market research report in one superb, value-priced package.