In the Australian public sphere, manufacturing is associated with a pessimistic outlook, seen as uncompetitive (high local wages and a high Aussie dollar) and an eventual decline as manufacturing is moved offshore. This perception is generated by high-profile press stories concerning government subsidies of car manufacturers and that the success stories quietly achieve their results quietly, relatively unnoticed.
I am currently straining my eyes, looking deep into my crystal ball for the combinations and left-field factors that will make the trend transformative and permanent (at least for the time being).
