Duke University researchers predicted in a report that U.S. manufacturing is poised to grow in a low-carbon economy, according to a report in EE Times.

Highlighting the direct linkages between low-carbon technologies and U.S. jobs the "Manufacturing Climate Solutions" study provides a detailed look at manufacturing jobs that already exist and would be created when the United States takes action to limit global warming.

Specifically, LED lighting products, one of the five technologies analyzed in this report, is in a quandary. The technology occupies a small but fast-growing segment of the global lighting industry. LED technology uses manufacturing techniques embedded in the semiconductor industry, in which much of the manufacturing occurs in Asia.

However, U.S. firms can play a crucial role in developing and manufacturing the next generation of LED lighting products. Many LED products, especially the vital LED chips, rely on breakthrough technologies and require particularly high quality standards, indicating a preference for manufacturing close to home, conclude the researchers.

This is important in a global economy where, as each new technology eventually stabilizes and the scale of production expands, the manufacturing base often moves to less expensive mass operations overseas.

The U.S. Energy Department has supported U.S. research and development and by establishing labeling and standards. According to Morgan Pattison, a technology consultant to the DOE Solid State Lighting Research program, the vital question is: "Will the quality domestic and Japanese manufacturers of high-brightness LEDs be able to bring costs down before the lower-end manufacturers in Taiwan and China can bring performance up?"

An excellent example is North Carolina-based Cree Inc., which has become a global leader in high-quality, high-brightness LEDs, rolling out frequent innovations and continuing to manufacture domestically. Crees success in this environment highlights an important link between innovation and the continued viability of U.S. manufacturing jobs, says the report.

President-elect Barack Obamas proposed economic plan called for creating 5 million jobs in environmental industries. "Green collar" jobs present the next frontier for U.S. manufacturing, according to the Duke report. (Source: EE Times)