Why it’s China’s turn to worry about manufacturing

Why it’s China’s turn to worry about manufacturing @ The Washington Post via Tim.

America has been extremely worried about the loss of manufacturing to China. Seduced by subsidies, cheap labor, lax regulations, and a rigged currency, American industry has made a beeline to China. New technologies will likely cause the same hollowing out of China’s manufacturing industry over the next two decades that the U.S experienced over the past twenty years. That’s right. America is destined to once again gain its supremacy in manufacturing, and it will soon be China’s turn to worry.

China’s largest hi-tech product manufacturer Taiwan-based Foxconn Technology Group, made waves last August when it announced plans to install one million robots within three years to do the work that its workers presently do. These robots will perform repetitive, mechanical tasks to produce the circuit boards that go in many of the world’s most popular consumer gadgets. But even these robots and circuit boards will soon be obsolete.

..What happens when you combine AI, robotics, and digital manufacturing? A manufacturing revolution, that will enable U.S. entrepreneurs to “set up shop” locally, and create a wide variety of products. As Kinko’s is for 2D digital printing on paper, we will have shared public manufacturing facilities like TechShop where you can print your 3D products. How is China going to compete with that?


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3 Comments

  1. "We will have shared public manufacturing facilities like TechShop where you can print your 3D products. How is China going to compete with that?"

    Maybe via. their existing industrial clusters and the usual economy of scale? There’s a reason they call that part of China "Foxconn City".

    I’m all for public DIY workshops like TechShop, but make no mistake — they are no threat to China.

  2. Its the consumerization of manufacturing. You heard it here first folks. When the people get to decide what they make themselves in combination with COIT… It’s gonna be awesome.o

  3. I’m pretty sure the largest incentives to manufacture in China are because of less red tape for business: you can dump your waste and you can murder worker rights agitators. Wall Street is not going to bring these job back to the US until we eliminate laws and reach parity with China.

    The us taxpayers even fund outsourcing, via tax credits. As long as that is in place, even bricks and lead bars will be cheaper to manufacture in China.

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