COVID-19 has brought with it a tumultuous yet interesting time for the manufacturing sector. April was largely a disaster, but JobKeeper helped businesses stay afloat. May brought with it supply chain issues, but June and July saw sales off the richter with a renewed sense of optimism in the market place. With the AFR reporting last week that Australia ranks a solid last in manufacturing self-sufficiency according to the OECD - there is clearly opportunity to grow. Mark Phillips, manufacturing expert at Grant Thornton discusses how the manufacturing sector is responding to the ebbs and flows of demand, the supply chain and difficulties with freight and logistics, and the procurement power that the government holds.