4 ms·

I think the key take away from the article is this line: >...higher-level innovation? Ironically, factory owners said that's happening where the industry is —

by hguant 5y ago

I think the key take away from the article is this line: >...higher-level innovation? Ironically, factory owners said that's happening where the industry is — overseas. I don't think there's anything ironic about this. Innovation happens close to the product, where you can get a true understanding of what you're doing and what the process is. We see this in projects gone awry all the time - until you're sitting at your desk working on the project, you don't know what the problem space actually is. In addition to all the obvious problems with the dismantling of America's manufacturing capacity, I think this is one of the real, critical, and silent issues - for a country that keeps touting innovation, not a lot of that happens here... apart from industries where there still is a strong manufacturing core in the country. The mercantilist rhetoric about buy American is stupid, but so is the blind faith that global capitalism won't destroy the ground it's built on.

jollybean 5y ago
This is not electronics though. Nike et. al. are fundamentally and intimately aware and involved with all technical aspects of the design. The factories in Vietnam are not hiring long distance runners and putting up tracks, hiring PhDs to measure gate, develop new materials. More obviously, Vietnamese factories cannot afford to hire Michael Jordan et. al. and the world's top Ad Agencies who actually drive sales. Of all of the sectors that we should be concerned about, this one is not it. 1) Shoes are odd and there's no way we're going to make robots anytime soon to do all these nimble things that require hands. 2) Overseas makers don't have any technical leverage - and definitely not brand power - so it's unlikely they'll usurp the system. 3) It's not a strategic sector. I don't think there's much we can do here. I'd be more interested in high end robots to make cars and electronics cheaper. Electronics is one area that we could endeavour to 'bring jobs back'. Shoes, not so much.

by hguant 5y ago

jollybean 5y ago

This is not electronics though. Nike et. al. are fundamentally and intimately aware and involved with all technical aspects of the design. The factories in Vietnam are not hiring long distance runners and putting up tracks, hiring PhDs to measure gate, develop new materials. More obviously, Vietnamese factories cannot afford to hire Michael Jordan et. al. and the world's top Ad Agencies who actually drive sales. Of all of the sectors that we should be concerned about, this one is not it. 1) Shoes are odd and there's no way we're going to make robots anytime soon to do all these nimble things that require hands. 2) Overseas makers don't have any technical leverage - and definitely not brand power - so it's unlikely they'll usurp the system. 3) It's not a strategic sector. I don't think there's much we can do here. I'd be more interested in high end robots to make cars and electronics cheaper. Electronics is one area that we could endeavour to 'bring jobs back'. Shoes, not so much.