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forefront of improved manufacturing processes as demand returns to full capacity and the ramp up to full recovery across the industry takes hold," Isherwood said. "Additive manufacturing becomes more prevalent and leads to cost-savings initiatives and top-line growth throughout the industry." Cooper said digital manufacturing technologies are increasingly being incorporated into "smart" production processes whereby various stages of the production process are linked and interdependent. Advantages to using these new technologies include increased productivity, improved quality and shorter lead times, he said. Technology adoption will be especially important to Connecticut manufacturers, as they compete with companies located in places with lower labor costs, Cooper said. "Connecticut is not a low-cost region, but we successfully compete in global markets because of the innovation of our businesses and the productivity of our workforce," Cooper said. "To remain world leaders in our markets we need to incorporate the latest digital technology into our operations." Acquisition activity White said he's expecting to see a fair number of manufacturing company acquisitions in 2022, continuing a trend from last year. "There is no shortage of potential buyers of manufacturing companies, including strategic buyers and private equity buyers," White said. "There has been an increase in so-called proprietary deals (i.e., where one buyer negotiates exclusively) as opposed to auctions. I think this will continue in 2022." Increased focus on clean energy Cooper said the state will also see an increased emphasis on clean energy. That's because many Connecticut manufacturers sell products to larger-end customers that are developing strategies around sustainable production and net-zero manufacturing. These companies are starting to require their suppliers to actively participate in those initiatives, Cooper said. "In addition, there is a significant amount of development and manufacturing activity around clean energy in the state in products such as fuel cells, batteries, and electric vehicle infrastructure," Cooper said. Additionally, Connecticut manufacturers will likely be part of two major wind energy projects: The 704-megawatt Revolution Wind project in New London — a joint development of Denmark-based Ørsted and Eversource — and the 804-megawatt Park City Wind development in Bridgeport — led by Vineyard Wind. "Connecticut is at the epicenter of almost 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power that will be installed off the southern New England coast over the next 10 years that will be fueled by $100 billion of capital investment," Cooper said. Industry Outlook: Manufacturing Industry Outlook: Higher Education By Robert Storace rstorace@hartfordbusiness.com H igher-education enrollment took a hit during the pandemic and online and hybrid programs became a much more popular and necessary way to educate students. In fact, National Student Clearinghouse Research Center Higher-ed focuses on hybrid, remote courses and industry partnerships in year ahead UConn interim President Andrew Agwunobi. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED 26 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | JANUARY 3, 2022