Due to aspects such as armed conflicts, climate change, geopolitical conflicts, and transitioning demographics, global supply chains have gone on to face quite prominent disruptions. These issues have been especially acute when it comes to the medical device sector, where the maintenance of resilient supply chains happens to be very important.
The COVID-19 pandemic, went on to starkly highlight the susceptibilities of the sector, thereby leading to shortages when it comes to essential medical devices like PPE, diagnostic equipment, and ventilators.
The shortages highlighted the requirement for stronger supply chains that were adaptable. Due to these disruptions, the medical devices sector companies happen to be relocating strategically their supply chains so as to mitigate risks and, when it comes to the long-term aspect, decrease the cost of production.
The high geopolitical tensions have also prompted the governments to come up with novel support mechanisms when it comes to reshoring, friendshoring and also nearshoring specifically aimed at crucial sectors like healthcare. Reshoring happens to involve getting parts of the supply chain back to the home nation from abroad, whereas on the other hand, nearshoring happens to move business operations much closer to the consumer regions, thereby reducing the costs of the supply chain and also enhancing efficiency. Friendshoring on the other hand means relocating the entire business operations towards politically in sync allies so as to make sure of more dependable and secure supply chains.
Across the US, measures such as CHIPS- Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors Act as well as the IRA- Inflation Reduction Act happen to be offering subsidies when it comes to vital verticals like semiconductors that will go on to have an effect on the medical devices sector.
In the same way, the UK is looking to invest billions when it comes to domestic manufacturing in terms of life sciences, apart from the other crucial sectors. In spite of slow economic growth, which makes the relocation of the supply chain costly, companies happen to be prioritizing the steps to go ahead and create resilient supply chains and hence avoid any sort of future shortages.
The Supply Chain Disruption: GlobaData’s thematic report suggests that most manufacturers have already initiated to reshore their supply chains, with as much as 90% giving out positive impacts on their businesses in certain sectors. Moreover, apart from reshoring, companies happen to be diversifying their supply chains by way of nearshoring as well as friendshoring. Regions like Mexico as well as Latin America happen to be emerging as attractive destinations as against previous locations, thereby offering large pools of talent and also a workforce that’s highly educated. Countries like Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam are becoming a choice due to their low cost of labor and also a fast-growing infra.
All said and done, the trend towards reshoring, nearshoring, and friendshoring is indeed reshaping the worldwide supply chains as far as the medical devices sector is concerned. This transition, which is indeed strategic, looks forward to elevating resilience as well as adaptability in a scenario that is already enveloped by future disruptions, thereby making sure that critical medical supplies go on to remain available when they are most needed.
