Asia’s entrenched supply chain makes the prospect of moving significant manufacturing back to automated factories in the developed world an illusion, according to the chief executive of Adidas in comments he said applied across the sportswear industry.
“Our production landscape is 90 per cent Asia-based. I do not believe, and it’s a complete illusion to believe, that manufacturing can go back to Europe in terms of volume,” Kasper Rorsted said last week during his first trip to Asia after taking the helm of the German company in October.
Adidas does plan to ramp up production at fully automated “speed factories” in Germany and Atlanta staffed by robots, and this month announced a partnership with Silicon Valley start-up Carbon to produce trainers with 3D-printed soles at faster speeds.