Trouble in the Making?: The Future of Manufacturing-Led Development

In the past, manufacturing-led development typically delivered both productivity gains and job creation for unskilled labor. Looking ahead, changing technologies and shifting globalization patterns call the feasibility of manufacturing-led development strategies into question. Things, advanced robotics, and 3-D printing are shifting the criteria that make locations attractive for production and are threatening significant disruptions in employment, particularly for low-skilled labor. These trends raise fears that manufacturing will no longer offer an accessible pathway for low-income countries to develop and, even if feasible, will no longer provide the same dual benefits of productivity gains and job creation for unskilled labor. As a result, the potential risk of growing inequality across and within countries warrants closer attention to the implications of changing technology and globalization patterns. This book looks at changing technology and globalization from the perspective of low- and middle income countries (LMICs) - with an emphasis on analyzing differences across manufacturing subsectors and identifying policy priorities with an eye toward making the most of new opportunities. The book will answer the following questions: how has the global manufacturing landscape changed, and why does this matter for development opportunities?; how are emerging trends in technology and globalization likely to shape the feasibility and desirability of manufacturing-led development in the future?; and if low wages are going to be less important in determining competitiveness, how can less industrialized countries make the most of new opportunities that shifting technologies and globalization patterns may bring?