I traveled 15,000 km to China and shared what Canadian manufacturing sector could learn in an article in Canada’s manufacturing magazine: PLANT.

I traveled to China in June of this year to oversee the first parts of an injection mold. I have worked with overseas manufacturers for years now, but this was my first trip to China.

It didn’t take long to see the differences between the manufacturing sector built up around Shanghai and the manufacturers in the Greater Toronto Area, with whom I had worked over the last twenty years. It was clear that Canadian manufacturers are constrained in terms of space and access to tooling, where Chinese manufacturers have the infrastructure to produce in large industrial spaces and can quickly have tooling made to make them more efficient.

Please read the article: Inside the engine: Lessons from abroad to tune up Canada’s manufacturing sector – Plant

Key Takeaways:

• Infrastructure impacts timelines. Better transportation infrastructure and local manufacturing partners mean more predictable shipping and fewer delays in product development.
• Space constraints compromise production. Cramped Canadian facilities force manufacturers to make efficiency trade-offs that affect quality and cost.
• Tooling accessibility determines what’s feasible. China’s specialized tooling ecosystems deliver custom tools in weeks or even days.
• Trade uncertainty creates opportunity. Current economic pressures offer a window for designers to drive manufacturing innovation and competitiveness.

I hope to write more for them, so if they see people reading the full article, then it will help my chances of having my articles published there again.