Manufacturing Back-shoring: Theoretical Conceptualization and Empirical Evidences

In recent years, use of the term “back-shoring” has expanded dramatically , especially in economics journalism and in consulting firms’ white papers. More recently, the topic has prompted academic investigation too, despite the lack of reliable data. The paper aims to establish the importance of back-shoring strategies for manufacturing companies, especially in the wake of the recent financial crisis. To this end, we analyse and discuss 230 operational observations contained in our inter-University research group’s database on back-shoring strategies enacted by global businesses. Furthermore, we focus on 50 operations implemented by Italian companies and compare them with analogous operations effected by German firms and already described in the literature.