The State of Global Manufacturing report is a comparison study primarily between North American and European manufacturers regarding their purchasing preferences as well as future acquisition plans. The methods, practices and sources for the report were developed and executed by the Italian Trade Commission in collaboration with HSM – organizers of the annual World Business Forum. This report as its base were interviews conducted both online and telephonically during the 3rd and 4th quarters of 2010. In total, 579 manufacturers participated, of which 418 were located in North America while 161 were in Europe. This report was first presented at the 2010 World Business Forum held in New York City and was discussed in various publications such as Bloomberg BusinessWeek and IndustryWeek magazines. The main purpose of the report is to provide the reader with both a better understanding and insight into the challenges and issues manufacturers located in two different parts of the world are addressing during these recent turbulent times. As well, it illustrates how they are and/or plan to respond to said issues and challenges over the next few years.