Just-in-time manufacturing practices have increased efficiency and reduced costs of production across industries, but have also created fragile supply chains vulnerable to disruptions of many forms. Global supply chains are disrupted by natural hazards—including droughts, floods, fires, severe storms, and other weather and climate-related events—and local, national, and global sociopolitical risks—including labor shortages, physical and cyber conflict, political instability, and transport delays. As with the 2020 SolarWinds breach, the February 2021 storms in Texas, and the March 2021 Suez Canal blockage, supply chain disruptions have cascading global economic effects that are often difficult to quantify, making the associated losses from disasters difficult to assess. What have we learned about risk management and mitigation during the last year’s natural and manmade disruptions? How has the risk environment for global supply chains evolved? How can the U.S. government build partnerships with industry and investors to sustain higher-risk investments in state-of-the-art technologies for critical industries, to build more resilience and security?

During this meeting, GUIRR members and guests considered supply chain vulnerabilities and risk management practices across sectors and industries.

Chris Nissen, CEO and Founder of Intelwerks, LLC
Christopher Geiger, Director Risk and Sustainability at Lockheed Martin
Erick Jones, Associate Dean for Graduate Studies in The University of Texas at Arlington College of Engineering and Jefferson Science Fellow in the Office of the Chief Economist at the U.S. State Department
Liz Reynolds, Special Assistant to the President for Manufacturing and Research and Development, National Economic Council

This meeting is for GUIRR members and invited guests.