Issue #24 - The Future of Manufacturing

Many companies in Europe and the US have shifted production overseas in the past years, especially to China, so that we as consumers get cheaper products. Covid-19 has exposed the fragility of these complex supply chains, and the underlined the drawbacks of offshoring that led to a shortage of face masks when the pandemic hit Europe and the US.

Many of us, including Apple, continue to have the dream of “the automated factory.” However, even after spending millions of dollars on automating its production, Apple has always reverted back to use humans instead of robots.