Access Is Becoming Manufacturing’s Competitive Advantage, According to Xometry's 2027 U.S. Manufacturing Outlook
NORTH BETHESDA, Md., Oct. 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Xometry, Inc. (NASDAQ:XMTR), the global AI-native marketplace connecting buyers and suppliers of custom manufacturing, today released its second annual Manufacturing Outlook report, a forward-looking analysis of the forces shaping the manufacturing industry for 2027.
The Manufacturing Advantage is Shifting
The 2027 Manufacturing Outlook—based on proprietary research with manufacturing executives across the U.S., along with insights from Xometry and external subject matter experts—points to a shift in the manufacturing advantage, traditionally built around a company's assets. Increasingly, what matters is what a company can access: capacity beyond its own walls, qualified suppliers when conditions change, and AI-driven intelligence that extends the expertise of its existing workforce.
"AI is moving earlier into the manufacturing process, and the skills our industry needs are moving with it," said Sanjeev Singh Sahni, CEO of Xometry. “There’s plenty of manufacturing capacity in the U.S. to meet the growing demand for parts from robotics and physical AI to defense, much of it in smaller shops running below full utilization. The challenge is that these products depend on parts made from different suppliers, assembled in stages, and most supply chains weren’t built for that many handoffs. Solving that takes access to the right partners at every step. This year’s Manufacturing Outlook confirms what we’re seeing across our own network: the companies that adapt fastest are the ones treating access, not just assets, as their competitive edge.”
Using the insights from Xometry and survey responses from manufacturing executives, four trends were identified that will shape global manufacturing in 2027:
"The opportunity heading into 2027 is to connect more of America's manufacturing capacity to the companies that need it. The shops that move fastest to make their capacity visible and their credentials current are the ones who win the work," said Silpa Gollapalli, SVP of Commercial and leader of the Partner Network at Xometry.
Download the full 2027 Manufacturing Outlook report.
About Xometry
Xometry’s (NASDAQ: XMTR) AI-native marketplace, popular Thomasnet ® industrial sourcing platform, and suite of cloud-based services are rapidly digitizing the manufacturing industry. Xometry provides manufacturers the critical resources they need to grow their businesses and streamlines the procurement process for buyers through real-time pricing and lead time data. Learn more at xometry.com or follow Xometry on LinkedIn.
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