With the start of the Industrial Revolution, manufacturing had its symbolic place in the factory, populated by a mass of workers and machines. Above it, the sky appeared starry – each star a new job, a new machine in operation. In short, the prospect was one of more jobs and more investment. But not only that. In Adam Smith’s vision, set out in Book Three of The Wealth of Nations (Smith, 1776), manufacturing was the bearer of good governance, order, security and freedom, and so of the concomitant benefits for the lower classes. Thus economic development was able to proceed at a faster pace than in the past. In the firmament of the world economy, manufacturing is still a very bright star. Labour income is derived from various sectors including manufacturing: compared to the average, the contribution of manufacturing is about 20% higher. It deploys value creation geographically thanks to supply chains and the need for physical space and investment in tangible assets. The benefits brought by manufacturing are, therefore, a vital constituent in the lifeblood of the big five manufacturing exporters: the USA, China, Japan, Germany and Italy.