Axios Live: The future of manufacturing is in the details, Exiger president says

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Manufacturing leaders need more visibility into their software, materials and suppliers, Exiger president Carrie Wibben Kaupp said at a July 1 Axios Live event.

Why it matters: U.S. businesses are adapting as geopolitical tensions, supply-chain disruptions and AI reshape the industry.

Axios' Nathan Bomey and Colin Campbell moderated conversations with Wibben Kaupp; Construct Capital co-founder Dayna Grayson; and Kevin O'Hanlon, Consumer Technology Association's vice president of North America government relations. The event was sponsored by Walmart.

What they're saying: The strength of the industry will depend on surpassing "surface-level visibility," Wibben Kaupp said.

"We need to understand, predict and then action those disruptions in our supply chains in real time," she added.

The biggest challenge is "where to start," Grayson said, since the most crucial pieces will depend on the customer and the company.

Context: In 2024, China banned exporting certain rare minerals to the U.S. that America uses for technology and defense operations.

Wibben Kaupp called it "weaponizing the periodic table."

In May, President Trump met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping for a "friendship summit."

What's next: "The cost of finished goods are only going to go up in the near term," O'Hanlon said, as tech memory becomes a central resource "not just for consumers, but also for the manufacturers [and] for data center operators."

Content from the sponsor's segment:

In a View From the Top segment, Walmart U.S. senior vice president of pantry Melody Richard said, "You should expect to see stronger partnerships across the manufacturing landscape with our suppliers bringing more innovation."

Richard was joined by Ferrero North America president and chief business officer Michael Lindsey.