When I first spoke with Mae Krier, she was in the process of renewing her driver’s license and deciding on whether to accept an invitation for an overseas trip and speaking engagement. While these are unusual activities for a soon-to-be-100-year-old woman, Mae is no ordinary centenarian. In fact, she’s quite extraordinary for any age—continuing to live life to its fullest and making an impact on the world at large.

The United States does not lag the world in designing advanced electronics or cutting-edge chips. Where it falls behind is in scaling, fabricating, assembling, and integrating chips into complete, working systems.

Manufacturing leaders always look for smart strategies to gain a competitive edge and uncover new opportunities. Deloitte’s 2026 Manufacturing Industry Outlook says there’s room for cautious optimism among those manufacturers focused on targeted technology investments, particularly in agentic AI, to drive agility despite ongoing economic and talent challenges.

When I first spoke with Mae Krier, she was in the process of renewing her driver’s license and deciding on whether to accept an invitation for an overseas trip and speaking engagement. While these are unusual activities for a soon-to-be-100-year-old woman, Mae is no ordinary centenarian. In fact, she’s quite extraordinary for any age—continuing to live life to its fullest and making an impact on the world at large.

The United States does not lag the world in designing advanced electronics or cutting-edge chips. Where it falls behind is in scaling, fabricating, assembling, and integrating chips into complete, working systems.

Manufacturing leaders always look for smart strategies to gain a competitive edge and uncover new opportunities. Deloitte’s 2026 Manufacturing Industry Outlook says there’s room for cautious optimism among those manufacturers focused on targeted technology investments, particularly in agentic AI, to drive agility despite ongoing economic and talent challenges.

When I first spoke with Mae Krier, she was in the process of renewing her driver’s license and deciding on whether to accept an invitation for an overseas trip and speaking engagement. While these are unusual activities for a soon-to-be-100-year-old woman, Mae is no ordinary centenarian. In fact, she’s quite extraordinary for any age—continuing to live life to its fullest and making an impact on the world at large.

The United States does not lag the world in designing advanced electronics or cutting-edge chips. Where it falls behind is in scaling, fabricating, assembling, and integrating chips into complete, working systems.

Manufacturing leaders always look for smart strategies to gain a competitive edge and uncover new opportunities. Deloitte’s 2026 Manufacturing Industry Outlook says there’s room for cautious optimism among those manufacturers focused on targeted technology investments, particularly in agentic AI, to drive agility despite ongoing economic and talent challenges.

When I first spoke with Mae Krier, she was in the process of renewing her driver’s license and deciding on whether to accept an invitation for an overseas trip and speaking engagement. While these are unusual activities for a soon-to-be-100-year-old woman, Mae is no ordinary centenarian. In fact, she’s quite extraordinary for any age—continuing to live life to its fullest and making an impact on the world at large.

The United States does not lag the world in designing advanced electronics or cutting-edge chips. Where it falls behind is in scaling, fabricating, assembling, and integrating chips into complete, working systems.

Manufacturing leaders always look for smart strategies to gain a competitive edge and uncover new opportunities. Deloitte’s 2026 Manufacturing Industry Outlook says there’s room for cautious optimism among those manufacturers focused on targeted technology investments, particularly in agentic AI, to drive agility despite ongoing economic and talent challenges.