Sustainable and Resilient Manufacturing for the Post–COVID-19 Era

Society has confronted many challenges in recent decades, ranging from devastating wildfires and hurricanes to, most recently, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic Our manufacturing sector plays a critical role in confronting these challenges and in the recovery process, as it lies at the helm of the comfort, well-being, and safety of our communities Manufacturers help bring to fruition innovative technologies that can maintain our way of life during times of stability (e g , smartphones and fuel-efficient vehicles) and that can enable a quick recovery during emergencies or natural disasters (e g , rapid testing technologies, ventilators, and photovoltaic panels) This article suggests ways to enhance the efficiency, sustainability, and resilience of the manufacturing sector in the post-COVID-19 era Considerations for the supply chain, manufacturing systems, and manufacturing processes at the nanoscale are discussed, © 2020 American Institute of Physics Inc All rights reserved