How AMT drives data, global markets and workforce development

Association for Manufacturing Technology impacts US actions on the international stage
Sept. 1, 2026
2 min read
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Key Highlights

  • AMT empowers U.S. equipment builders by delivering more than 70 years of proprietary order intelligence alongside international tech centers in regions like Mexico, India and Southeast Asia to accelerate global exports.
  • Through the IMTS Smart Force initiative, exposure to accessible, modern tools, such as cobot vision systems and digital twins, creates viable, low-cost career paths for thousands of students and trade apprentices.
  • Cultivating domestic technological innovation and securing global supply chains directly reinforces both U.S. national defense and long-term economic competitiveness.

Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT) President Doug Woods outlines the organization’s foundational mission to support U.S.-based manufacturing technology providers (Figure 1). AMT’s membership encompasses companies that build the machine tools, robotics, CAD-CAM software and automation systems required by all other industries. Woods highlights AMT's core dual value proposition: providing members with exclusive, highly targeted market intelligence, such as over 70 years of U.S. manufacturing technology order data, and expanding global market access through international technology centers in high-growth regions like Mexico, India and Southeast Asia.

Figure 1: Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT) President Doug Woods.

Figure 1: Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT) President Doug Woods.

The Smart Force initiative at the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) addresses workforce development. Designed to bridge the industrial skills gap, the program exposes tens of thousands of students to hands-on technologies like digital twins, cobot vision systems and non-destructive testing. By making advanced equipment accessible to younger generations, technical trades and military veterans, AMT helps turn early student curiosity into long-term manufacturing careers without requiring traditional, high-cost four-year degrees.

Woods examines international trade dynamics and AMT’s role in helping North American machine builders capture emerging export opportunities (Figure 1). As supply chains shift away from traditional hubs, AMT’s overseas tech centers, most notably its active center in Monterrey, Mexico, alongside facilities across Southeast Asia and India, help members navigate cross-border trade, access new supply chains and deploy specialized American-made technology globally. Together, these initiatives reflect AMT’s broader goal of reinforcing U.S. economic strength and national defense through advanced manufacturing innovation.

Chapters

  • 00:00 - AMT Overview
  • 01:38 - Industry Intelligence & Market Access
  • 05:13 - SmartForce & Workforce Development
  • 06:15 - Attracting Next-Gen Engineering Talent
  • 08:21 - Global Expansion & Overseas Tech Centers

About the Author

Mike Bacidore
Email

Mike Bacidore

Editor in Chief

Mike Bacidore is chief editor of Control Design and has been an integral part of the Endeavor Business Media editorial team since 2007. Previously, he was editorial director at Hughes Communications and a portfolio manager of the human resources and labor law areas at Wolters Kluwer. Bacidore holds a BA from the University of Illinois and an MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. He is an award-winning columnist, earning multiple regional and national awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors. He may be reached at [email protected] 

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