A comment on the ABC news this morning regarding prospects of manufacturing industries returning to countries like Australia.

The logic went something like this, am unable to remember exact words ......

"Over the next 20 years, with increasing replacement of labour with robotics, the cost of labour becomes less important in manufacturing therefore manufacturing that has moved to countries with cheaper labour could recover in countries like Australia"

Sounded kind of sensible to me but I know nothing about manufacturing plant lines or labour or robotics or economics. However surely the countries with the cheap labour will also be investing in more sophisticated robot factories over next 20 years as well ? You can currently see what look to be highly automated production lines on some of the ebay/bangood/aliexpress suppliers sites.

Anyone got any thoughts ?

Bill


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