Categories: technology, economy
What? Amazon is taking control of every aspect of goods exchange. It has invested in fleets of cargo planes and container ships to expand its delivery service. It has filed a patent for mobile 3D-printing delivery trucks. It is automating warehouses. Growing use of its drone delivery service is revolutionizing how goods reach customers.
So what? Companies like Amazon are centralizing many aspects of their value supply chains. At the same time they innovate with automation, robotics and other emerging technologies to deliver and manufacture goods. This could result in supply chains that bypass human labour. By creating digital supply chain self-sufficiency, companies like Amazon could increasingly circumvent national controls and regulations. As these companies operate globally and have greater economic clout than many countries, they could create new geo-economic dynamics.