Machines cannot fully replace people even in a high-tech industry like car-making. That is one of the conclusions of research which uses the example of the newly merged transatlantic car-maker Fiat Chrysler to debunk a number of myths about the nature of manufacturing and its viability in the mature economies of the West. Is there a future for industry in Europe and North America? Yes, the authors say, as long as we realise that manufacturing is not all about cost compression or automation. They note, for example, that quality rather than low cost is where mature economies still generally lead.

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3 October 2014     Paper Number CEPCP434

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This CentrePiece article is published under the centre's Trade programme.