Remote working

As capital intensiveness increased there is likely to be a greater emphasis on achieving 24/7 (or three shift) operations in manufacturing to optimise this capital.

Higher bandwidth offers the prospect of remote robotic manufacturing.  Today pilotless drone aircraft operating on the Afghanistan border are flown by pilots safely stationed at remote consoles.  There are over 1,000 'da Vinci surgical systems' (medical robots) already operating in hospitals worldwide.  These and similar systems facilitate minimally invasive 'keyhole' and micro surgery that cannot be accomplished by a 'hands on' surgeon.  The surgeon sits at a remote consol.  It is expected that this technology will soon allow advanced surgical procedures to be carried out at sites remote from the surgeon – she or he may even be at home.  The same principles could be applied to the many manufacturing and industrial processes that are already robotocised or otherwise automated.

This may have profound implications for regional development as those parts of a business that are not geographically bound to a location for resource reasons will be increasingly free to go anywhere.  Knowledge industry workers and managers in particular will be able to locate where they prefer to live. Due to the issues of remote reporting, supervision and maintenance of organisational structure, the work paradigm may need to change accordingly.  This is likely to favour more payment for output or outcome (fee for service) in place of payment for input (time at work).