I takt med att världen genomgår kriser i form av pandemi, ändrade handelsvägar, inflation och naturkatastrofer, förändrar det även förhållanden för textilproduktion. Från att företag flyttat sin produktion mot Asien på grund av låga produktionskostnader, börjar trenden skifta tillbaka till att företag väljer att flytta hem sin produktion. Syftet med studien är att utforska i vilken utsträckning ekodesigndirektivet, och FN:s mål för Agenda 2030 påverkar beslutsprocessen för en eventuell hemflyttning av textilproduktion till Sverige och Europa. En explorativ undersökning har gjorts på tre svenska modeföretag, där två personer per företag har givit sina inställningar och åsikter i semistrukturerade intervjuer. Resultatet visade att det finns en viss medvetenhet hos företagen kring ekodesigndirektivet, och en tydlig medvetenhet om Agenda 2030. I dagsläget påverkar ekodesigndirektivet eller Agenda 2030 beslutsprocessen för en eventuell hemflyttning av produktion till en liten grad, men företagen ser sitt ansvar i att vidareutbilda sig och vara rustade för nya regelverk, i form av att implementera dels CSR-aktiviteter, men även anställning av spetskompetenser. För att kunna flytta hem sin produktion krävs det innovationer i form av teknologi, som Sverige och Europa bör vara beredda att investera i trots det faktum att de flesta länder inom området har höga arbetskraftskostnader. Framtidens råmaterial i form av spillmaterial från gamla textilier, är också en möjlighet för området att generera. Om så är fallet, kan man utgå ifrån Sverige och Europa när man ser till hela värdekedjan, vilket betyder att den kan bli desto mer transparent och spårbar. Uppsatsen är skriven på svenska. / As the world contends with crises such as pandemics, shifting trade routes, inflation, and natural disasters, it also reshapes the landscape of textile production. While companies previously redirected their production towards Asia due to low production costs, the trend is now beginning to shift back as companies opt to relocate their manufacturing back home. An exploratory investigation was conducted with three Swedish fashion companies, where two representatives from each company provided their perspectives and opinions through semi-structured interviews. The results revealed that there is some awareness among companies regarding the Eco-design Directive and a clear understanding of Agenda 2030. Currently, the Eco-design Directive or Agenda 2030 only marginally influences the decision-making process for potential production reshoring. However, companies acknowledge their responsibility to further educate themselves and prepare for new regulations by implementing CSR activities and hiring specialized expertise. To relocate production back home, innovations in technology are required, which Sweden and Europe should be prepared to invest in even though most countries in the region have high labor costs. Future raw materials in the form of waste materials from old textiles also present an opportunity for the region to capitalize on. If so, Sweden and Europe could become the focal point for the entire value chain, making it more transparent and traceable. The paper is written in Swedish.

The aim of this research is to examine the extent to which the offshoring and outsourcing practices in Multinational Corporations, when the headquarters are registered and located in either the UK or Germany; are embedded in the institutional contexts of their respective home countries. There are six research questions relating to differences in approach and choice of location, ownership and coordination, employment practice, cultural proximity, trade union influence and finally the extent of re-shoring. These are primarily assessed through the 'varieties of capitalism' perspective. A comparative case study approach has been adopted with a focus on two sectors; airlines and engineering; in each case a major UK and German organisation are compared. Fourteen in-depth, semi-structured interviews took place in both the home countries and overseas locations in Europe, India and Asia. The sample size is small, however, each was with a senior executive and the transcripts revealed 'rich data' for compiling the case studies and answering the research questions. The contribution to original thinking is a conceptual framework posited by proposing a taxonomy to analyse the relationship between coordinated and liberal market economies and the components of the offshoring and / or outsourcing process. Reference is made to theory drawn from the resource based view, global production networks, dynamic capabilities, embeddedness as well as varieties of capitalism to focus on competences, spatial dimensions and power. It is this collective approach that is considered to be novel. Qualitative analysis is deployed to re-construct the actual framework for each industry sector. Constructs (Reichertz, 2004) combining abduction, deduction and induction are used to develop propositions that lead to conclusions. The similarities between the two UK companies and the two German companies confirms the usefulness of the taxonomy and allows for its extension to other firms and sectors. Key findings and conclusions from the two case studies are that German organizations are less inclined to outsource (in both sectors) preferring to reduce costs and retain control through captive offshoring. The UK businesses were less risk adverse and more flexible and agile in their sourcing policies. There was evidence that the UK companies regarded outsourcing and offshoring as options for closer co-operation that may lead to strategic alliances and mergers or acquisition. The relationships with trade unions/works council was also found to be very different, with a reluctance by management in Germany to progress radical initiatives. Other differences in terms of autonomy and division of labour were found. From an institutional perspective the German CME's cases were less able to deploy outsourcing and offshoring strategies with the degrees of freedom that the UK LMEs typically enjoyed. CMEs are constrained by their policies, interconnectedness and style of working. A number of ambiguities are highlighted. The thesis argues that the outsourcing and offshoring practices are embedded to a high degree in the institutional practices of the home countries. Finally, the empirical novelty lies in the 'rich data' generated by valuable insights from the senior executive interviewees to which the researcher was privileged to have access.

Background An increasing number of companies in Europe are interested in reshoring the production to their home country. Advantages in other countries, such as low direct wages, do not seem to play the major role anymore. Companies start to reassess their manufacturing location decision and start to see advantages in having production facilities in their home country and closer to the market. Nevertheless, reshoring is a long-term decision and comes with many factors that must be taken into consideration. Purpose The purpose of this thesis is to show learnings from shortcomings of outsourcing and offshoring decisions, so the shortcomings can be avoided when making reshoring decisions. Based on this together with a deep research of the literature, factors to consider when deciding to reshore should be proposed. These factors should be compared to the results of the empirical research to see their validity and if possible, they should be developed and complemented. Method To answer the research questions, a thorough literature review was crafted and a qualitative case study in form of semi-structured interviews with highly experienced employees of different companies in Sweden, Germany and Switzerland was conducted. The companies were picked based on their location, their industry and their experiences with manufacturing location decisions. The collected data was summarized, discussed and analyzed based on common themes. Conclusion After reviewing a vast amount of literature and empirical material concerning the topic of reshoring, the nature of the reshoring decision became a lot clearer. It is a very complex decision which requires the companies to take a close look at many different factors, as shown in figure 2. This framework allows companies to have a better overview of the factors influencing their reshoring decision. Since the reshoring decision itself varies quite substantially depending on the company, it is important that companies adapt these factors to their specific needs. Only when considering this step, a correct decision can be ensured.

Background: Reshoring is a growing phenomenon that refers to a company’s decision to move production back from a previously offshored location. There are many drivers and barriers to such decisions that display an increased complexity for managers. It gets even more challenging in a world with high levels of uncertainty shown in the past decade.    Purpose:  This study aims to investigate the drivers and barriers of reshoring and how managers perceive the risk of disruptive events as a driver of reshoring.    Method: This study uses a qualitative method and deductive approach, where empirical evidence was collected through semi-structured interviews with eight managers at clothing companies.   Conclusion: The findings of this study confirm several already established drivers and barriers to reshoring in the particular context of the clothing industry. Furthermore, the study shows that managers perceive an increased willingness to reshore as a response to disruptive events. This was to a large extent due to long lead times and higher coordination costs. Managers can use the findings as support in making decisions of where to locate their production.

Background: Trade regulations, the pandemic, and other disruptions have revealed the vulnerability of long and complex supplier networks. At the same time, there is an increasing need for firms to operate sustainably. An emerging topic in supply chain management literature is the phenomenon of near- and reshoring, addressing the process of moving previously offshored activities closer to or back into the country of origin. However, a missing link in research has been to base findings on in-depth primary data from managers, especially in times of crisis. Therefore, this study explores how relocation decisions are affected by disruption events and the increasing need for sustainable businesses. Purpose: This study aims to discover how the relocation of value-adding activities is influenced by today’s unpredictable business environment and the increasing awareness of economies’ social and environmental impact. Method: The study employs a qualitative research method using an inductive approach by semi-structured interviews with five Swedish manufacturing enterprises with global supply chains. The interviews were conducted with two CEOs, two supply chain managers, one sales and production manager, and one project manager. Conclusion: Recent disruption events have made near- and reshoring decisions a serious consideration amongst business leaders. The findings and analysis showed that relocation decisions are implemented more partially in order to diversify the manufacturing facilities geographically, in order to make supply chains more resilient. Additionally, there exists a great tension between the rapidly changing, unpredictable business environment and the long-term nature of relocation decisions. Sustainability, on the other hand, was identified as a positive side effect rather than the main driver for the relocation of production sites within the traditional manufacturing industry.

Utifrån en svensk kontext har outsourcing haft en stor betydelse för svenska producerande företag för att reducera kostnaderna för arbetskraft och produktion, samt att dra fördel av välutbildad arbetskraft från lågkostnadsländer. Under det senaste året har försörjningskedjan blivit mer utsatt för sårbarhet och oförutsägbara händelser från internationella risker, som exempelvis Covid-19 pandemin, blockerade transportsträckor och containerbrister. Detta har skapat risker som ökade ledtider, minskad leveransflexibilitet och leveransprecision som har bidragit till en försening i produktion, försening till slutanvändaren och till en sämre relation med leverantörerna. Internationell forskning tyder på att det nya riskläget har skapat en minskad resiliens och det finns beskrivningar av att allt fler svenska producerande företagen har haft det svårare att hantera, reagera och ta sig an nya möjligheter för att möta efterfrågan på marknaden. Det har gjort att allt fler svenska producerande företag har funderat på att flytta hem sin produktion till hemlandet eller närmare den inhemska marknaden för att öka resiliensen. I och med det nya riskläget i försörjningskedjan har det skapat en förändring i prioriteringar som skiftande efterfrågan från konsumenter och samhället i stort, som exempelvis teknisk utveckling och automatisering för att bli mer agila. Syftet med studien är att utforska det nya riskläget för svenska producerande företag som använder sig av outsourcing och huruvida reshoring är en hållbar lösning. I ett första steg identifieras risker och utmaningar som finns inom supply chain, som en konsekvens av det nya riskläget och det andra steget är huruvida reshoring kan lösa dessa utmaningar. Studiens problemformulering är: Vilka möjligheter har reshoring av produktion att vara ett hållbart alternativ till outsourcing för svenska producerande företag, för att möta den internationella riskbilden? Vi har valt att utföra en kvalitativ komparativ flerfallsstudie med abduktiv ansats för att kunna skapa en djupare förståelse och kunskap inom ämnet. Det har gjort att vi under studiens gång har pendlat mellan teorier, tidigare forskning samt empiri för att generera en ökad förståelse om reshoring är en hållbar lösning för att lösa utmaningarna i försörjningskedjan inom det nya riskläget. Denna studie bygger på tidigare forskning och empiri från sex stycken semistrukturerade kvalitativa intervjuer med svenska producerande företag som har valt att antingen outsourcat eller reshorat sin produktion. Empirin består av två intervjuguider för svenska producerande företag som valt antingen outsourcing eller reshoring. De två intervjuguiderna bygger på den teoretiska referensramen för att senare jämföras med respondenternas svar i analysen. Genom arbetet har vi kombinerat teori och tidigare forskning med insamlad data från de svenska producerande företagen som vi har intervjuat, för att förstå hur de ser på reshoring som en möjlig åtgärd för att kunna lösa dagens och framtida utmaningar i försörjningskedjan. Resultatet från studien pekar på att det finns en stor potential för svenska producerande företag att arbeta mer hållbart. Det har visat på att det finns indikationer som pekar på ett nytt internationellt riskläge från ökad globalisering och även skiftande efterfrågan och prioriteringar från konsumenter och samhället. Vi har presenterat olika fördelar och utmaningar som reshoring av produktion skulle kunna tillföra för aktörer i detta område. För att slutligen påvisa hur reshoring kan vara ett hållbart alternativ för särskilda svenska aktörer inom produktion. Det har lett oss till rekommendationer som bidrar till att skapa en allt bredare förståelse kring företags val av lokalisering av produktion. Det är för att få företag att överväga om deras nuvarande lokalisering är hållbar eller om det finns ytterligare alternativa lokaliseringar som är närmare, som samtidigt också uppfyller deras krav. Det är för att praktiskt påvisa hur reshoring kan vara ett hållbart alternativ för särskilda svenska aktörer inom produktion.

Background: Historically, industrial revolutions enabled societal shifts in conjunction with technological advancements. The currently ongoing industrial revolution is the fourth, namely Industry 4.0. Industry 4.0 related technologies require a high level of integration to improve processes and yield more efficient flows of information, physical and financial assets. This integration happens within and between GPNs, which comprise of globally fragmented points of economic activities, including manufacturing activities. New technologies advance these GPNs, causing a qualitative shift, meaning where and how production and consumption activities are changing. The idea of Industry 4.0 is still within its infancy, where the study of Industry 4.0 drivers and barriers for MNEs remains unexplored. Industry 4.0 is in the process of transforming how industries operate with access to new advanced technologies. These technologies can affect GPNs and potentially influence related business decisions regarding offshoring and reshoring decisions in their globalisation strategies. In relation to Industry 4.0 drivers and barriers, this was already investigated for SMEs, leading to the purpose of this study. Purpose: This study investigates the influence of Industry 4.0 on the motivation of MNEs regarding offshoring and reshoring strategies within a global supply chain context. Method: This is a qualitative study, that explores this field through the experiences of industry experts of MNEs. Hence, the study takes a relativistic and social constructionist stance in terms of ontology and epistemology, to inquire into this topic through gathering and comparing in depth experiences. Furthermore, gathered data was analysed through a thematic analysis approach. Conclusion: The result of the study shows that Industry 4.0 is emerging as a comprehensive concept that goes beyond just the technologies, drivers, and barriers. Based on our findings, this is referred to as a value network, replacing the contemporary view on GPNs. Hence, this value network is emerging as its own globalisation strategy that directly influences the motivations for MNEs to offshore and reshore.

This study aims to investigate the potential advantages and disadvantages of bringing the production of MDF- and OSB-boards to Sweden, as well as the possibility of implementing such a plan. The goal is to give the reader a comprehensive analysis of the potential economic and environmental benefits of bringing the production of MDF- and OSB-boards to Sweden. As well as the challenges and obstacles that would need to be overcome to make such a change a reality. The world market has been affected by unexpected events, including a world pandemic and the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Companies have realized the benefits of production closer to the market, and wood-based boards are essential in the construction industry. The study uses a qualitative interview approach to gain insights into the industry's current trends, challenges, and opportunities. The results show that while Sweden has the theoretical possibility to manufacture these boards, challenges such as profitability, raw materials, and competition on the market stand in the way. Porter's five forces model and the Triple Bottom Line were used for a comprehensive analysis, leading to the conclusion that the challenges for the manufacture of MDF- and OSB- boards in Sweden are currently too great.

Background: Reshoring refers to the process of bringing back manufacturing activities from foreign countries to the home country. The phenomenon is receiving increasing attention from companies and academics for factors such as increasing labor costs in offshore locations, supply chain disruptions, and a growing preference for locally made products. Sweden is home to many world-renowned multinational companies and multinational brands, many of which have established production operations in developing countries. However, reshoring from a consumer-side perspective has not received much research attention, especially from a Swedish consumer perspective. Purpose: This study investigates factors influencing Swedish consumers’ purchase intention on reshored products. This study focuses on five factors: brand attitude, social acceptability, individual ethnocentrism, made-in effect, and perceived social responsibility.  Methodology: This study adopts a quantitative research design and conducts a questionnaire regarding reshored apparel among Swedish consumers to test hypotheses. The data was collected through a web-based survey that 151 respondents answered. Findings: The empirical results indicate that brand attitude, social acceptability, and perceived social responsibility positively affect Swedish consumers' purchase intention on reshored apparel, while individual ethnocentrism and made-in effect do not have any significant effect.  Contributions: This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the implications of reshoring from a demand-side perspective, complementing the reshoring literature that primarily focuses on the business perspective. As the study is limited to a Swedish context, it provides a deeper understanding of Swedish consumers and their influence on reshored products.

Contrary to other industries, the fashion and textile sector is confronted with complex supply chain issues. The ultimate objective of the fashion and textile industry is to reduce costs while increasing consumer satisfaction and achieving long-term corporate success. For this, the supply chain evolved into a more agile form to take advantage of responsiveness with various strategies. The proximity manufacturing approach is one of them. Given this context, reshoring as a management technique to increase supply chain demand responsiveness (SCDR) has gained substantial attention in the fashion and apparel industries. considering that the purpose of this study is defined as to strategize the factors of reshoring and supply chain demand responsiveness (SCDR) in the apparel industry. This study reveals the factors of the apparel manufacturing supply chain. By attaining these factors a supply chain can achieve responsiveness attributes. It also accumulates data regarding positive factors that drive the reshoring of apparel manufacturing. Moreover, connections between these two factors have been established which illustrates the influence of reshoring on achieving demand responsiveness of the apparel supply chain.