Outsourcing of manufacturing jobs to far reach countries has been accused by San Diego-based entrepreneur and industry observer Nash-Hoff. He feels that when inventors operate at a distance from their inventions, they lose the hands-on experience that fuels innovation. In an interview he says,
Innovation is how many American companies hope to compete as workers in other countries acquire manufacturing skills. The idea is that American companies will produce ever-more sophisticated products as lower-tech products become commodities. That won't happen by divorcing manufacturing from research because vital skills will atrophy.
I think outsourcing or no outsourcing innovation vs commoditization of products are an age old debate between marketers of two kinds. One who believes in out of the creative outputs and the other, who prefer to go by standard methods, market research findings, who prefer to pay safe in terms of product innovation.
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