Manufacturers Seek $2B In Government Help

WASHINGTON (AP) — Manufacturing groups and the factory equipment maker Rockwell Automation Inc. said Wednesday that the federal government should devote $2 billion to aid research and development in the sector that has been battered by the recession.

The money would help reverse what the groups said has been a steady decline in government help for work on improving the efficiency, productivity and environmental impact of manufacturing plants. That could help put U.S. manufacturers on par with $2 billion in European Union support for research on factory improvements.

"U.S. manufacturers absolutely must have innovative, energy-efficient and productivity-enhancing technology to be competitive," said Keith Nosbusch, chief executive of the Milwaukee-based Rockwell Automation.

The money would be used for purposes such as reducing factories' waste emissions, lowering the amount of electricity they need to operate, and improving communication along supply chains so that events like product recalls may be done more quickly and efficiently.

Manufacturers have struggled over the past year, hampered by factors such as the tightening of the credit markets, drops in consumer demand, the collapse of the housing market and the severe drop in auto sales.