Distributed manufacturing: a new form of localised production?

Distributed manufacturing (DM) can be understood as: “technology, systems and strategies that change the economics and organization of manufacturing, particularly with regard to location and scale”. Manufacturing components in different physical locations and then managing the supply chain to bring them together for final assembly of a product is also considered a form of DM. Early-stage studies and exemplars present the potential of DM to deliver on-demand personalized consumer goods, supplement shortfalls in local demand for pharmaceuticals, produce spares in remote locations such as oil and gas rigs and enable circularity through repairs and modifications