To Cluster or Not to Cluster…That is the Question!
January 5, 2023
One of the unanticipated outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic is the reconfiguration of global manufacturing and supply chains. While you might expect manufacturers to be attracted to traditional “industry clusters” where talent and suppliers will come together in a certain market or geography — think of the close ties between automakers and Detroit — that isn’t necessarily the case today. In some sectors, traditional industry or logistics clusters are less important than they have been at any point in the past.
Disruption has created opportunity for U.S. manufacturing. Following various supply chain disruptions and lengthy logistics logjams beginning in 2020, many manufacturers have been near-shoring or on-shoring their manufacturing operations and reconfiguring their supply chain networks.