Launchpad was at the American Aerospace and Defense Summit last week. One of the sessions that resonated most for us as a young, growing company was the panel about talent. This made something unmistakably clear: the future of manufacturing depends on whether we can inspire the next generation of builders. The people who know how to make complex systems at scale are starting to retire, and the pipeline following them is thin.
This is more than an isolated labor shortage. It’s a cultural challenge that much of the western world now faces.
Manufacturing thrives when people believe that building things matters. For years, advanced economies treated manufacturing as something that could be outsourced without consequence. Production moved overseas, automation promised efficiency, and the identity of the builder slowly faded from public imagination.
Now, with supply chains under stress and geopolitical risks increasing, countries around the world are recognizing that industrial capacity is directly tied to economic resilience and national security. Many are now embarking on reindustrialization programs. But rebuilding requires more than new facilities or equipment. It requires renewed meaning.
Young people need to feel excitement rather than nostalgia when they think about factories and engineering labs. Modern manufacturing encompasses robotics, autonomous systems, advanced materials, aerospace technology and climate innovation. It’s a sector where the future is being shaped. But that story has to be communicated clearly and in a way that feels real.
We know this first hand because energy and enthusiasm for reimagining manufacturing is what we feel every day at Launchpad. Our team of young engineers, operators and founders view this sector as a frontier of innovation and are building its future.
Across the world, the next generation is searching for work that holds weight. Manufacturing offers exactly that. It strengthens supply chains, advances aerospace and defense, supports sustainable infrastructure and builds the systems that daily life depends on. When people understand the larger context of their work, they find purpose. Purpose is what keeps them committed.
Reinvigorating manufacturing is ultimately about restoring belief. It’s about creating a culture that values building, problem solving and meaningful contributions. When a society rekindles that excitement, it can build anything.
