Automation Adoption & Implications for the Automotive Workforce

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Many automakers and suppliers continue to face both challenges and opportunities as the automotive industry progresses through an era of rapid innovation as automation and artificial intelligence in the manufacturing setting continues to advance. Automotive companies widely report difficulty in finding enough qualified, skilled employees. Meanwhile, automation and artificial intelligence could potentially revolutionize manufacturing and change both the number of future workers required and the skills those people will need to possess.

With funding from Case Western Reserve University, the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) has prepared this report summarizing a benchmarking survey conducted across over 120 firms. The survey was conducted by Case Western Reserve University in partnership with Boston University, Center for Automotive Research, New York University, Precision Metalforming Association, and multiple part supplier associations. The survey investigates two questions: 1) what drives the adoption of new technology in the manufacturing setting and 2) how do a firm’s relationships with technology and its employees affect this adoption.