E-commerce and supply chains: The race to meet consumer demand in less than 24 hours

E-commerce and supply chains: The race to meet consumer demand in less than 24 hours

Globalization, with its complex network of supply chains spanning continents, has been the primary driver of global economic growth for decades. The prevailing motto has been: "Make it where it's cheapest." But recent years, marked by successive shocks from the pandemic to the war in Ukraine and the maritime straits crisis, have exposed the fragility of this model. Today, we are witnessing a radical shift in the concepts of international trade, as companies and countries move from "pure efficiency" to "resilience and sustainability." The concept of "nearshoring" is at the heart of trade discussions. This concept means relocating production facilities to locations geographically closer to target markets, rather than relying on suppliers in the other hemisphere. Companies that were entirely dependent on Asia for production have begun to seek alternatives in Latin America, Eastern Europe, or North Africa. This shift is not merely a geographical…