The Economist Logo

In search of resilience

Precautionism; The quest for resilience involves reaching for facts, friends and fortification When covid-19 led to a scramble for face masks, Lloyd Armbrust saw America’s shortage as “a really dumb problem to have”. But after his company’s first face mask came off the production line in Austin, Texas, he faced problems of his own. A…

The Economist Logo

In search of resilience

Precautionism; The quest for resilience involves reaching for facts, friends and fortification When covid-19 led to a scramble for face masks, Lloyd Armbrust saw America’s shortage as “a really dumb problem to have”. But after his company’s first face mask came off the production line in Austin, Texas, he faced problems of his own. A…

earth network lattice

Are Global Challenges Really Global?

About the podcast In this episode, Ron and Joseph discuss the supply chain and logistical challenges that are supposedly global in nature. But are they really? And to what extent? Joseph starts by sharing that none of the reported stresses in supply chain and logistics are being reported in Europe. The dozens of ships parked…

Supply Chain Dive

7 charts show Southern California’s warehouse crunch

Easing the chokepoint is a “balancing act” of labor, warehouse space and goods movement… As shipping containers clog the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, many importers are running into similar problems: There isn’t enough warehouse space to store incoming freight. This lack of capacity prevents many containers from advancing through an already congested supply chain….

Harvard Business Review

The Challenge of Rebuilding U.S. Domestic Supply Chains

Summery: Massachusetts-based Shawmut scrambled to expand production to meet the soaring demand for N95 masks and hospital gowns during the pandemic. Its experiences illustrates a crucial point that policymakers should take to heart: Once a country loses its industrial commons points — the capabilities needed to support the development and production of many goods — restoring…

The Economist Logo

Global supply chains are still a source of strength, not weakness

Resilience comes not from autarky but from diverse sources of supply For the best part of a week, the Suez canal was blocked by a 200,000-tonne metaphor. The Ever Given is not just one of the world’s biggest container ships, it is also the emblem of a backlash that accuses globalization of going too far….