Alstoms Gauthier Weighs in on American Competitiveness
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Following publication of its report on key challenges associated with American manufacturing, the Council on Competitiveness last week convened its first annual National Competitiveness Forum in Washington, D.C. to explore and build on its proposed recommendations.
Pierre Gauthier, Alstom’s Country President for the U.S. and Canada, lent his perspective on Competitiveness during a panel discussion titled “Making the Future – Developing, Deploying and Scaling,” which was hosted by Megan Hughes, a Washington Correspondent for Bloomberg Television. Pierre was joined on the panel by the President of Virginia Tech, the Chairman and CEO of Snap-on Incorporated, the Director of the Sandia National Laboratories, and the Chairman and CEO of NanoMech Inc.
The panel members were each given an opportunity to answer questions on the importance of R&D, technology, innovation, and attracting talent, by providing best practice examples from their respective companies and organizations.
...we need to focus on providing the advanced infrastructure that attracts 21st century manufacturing companies, like Alstom, to establish or expand a presence in the U.S...
During his comments, Pierre focused on the importance of infrastructure as both an opportunity to drive new manufacturing activity and a vitally-important tool in sustaining U.S. leadership in high-quality, state-of-the-art manufacturing.
Coming out of Hurricane Sandy, we are focused now on the need to make Americas infrastructure more resilient. The advanced software and equipment capable of strengthening the power grid, for example, is just one area where American companies have an opportunity to step forth with innovative new products and technologies, Gauthier remarked. At the same time, we need to focus on providing the advanced infrastructure that attracts 21st century manufacturing companies, like Alstom, to establish or expand a presence in the U.S.
In addition to hosting a daylong series of discussions with top leaders from the public and private sectors, the Council also released last week its Clarion Call for Competitiveness, which identifies key economic challenges, and offers solutions to position America to leverage its strengths and address shortcomings hampering our competitive performance.