The New Geography of Industry and Supply Chain Resilience

This conversation was part of the 2025 Meridian Summit: Shaping Geopolitical Futures.

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The COVID-19 pandemic and other crises revealed critical vulnerabilities in global supply networks, prompting companies and governments to rethink industrial geography in order to build resilience and strategic self-reliance. These themes are central to the work that Shilpan Amin oversees as Global Chief Procurement and Supply Chain Officer at General Motors. In a conversation with Steve Clemons, Editor at Large at The National Interest, Amin emphasized that true resilience depends on forward planning and real-time insights across every tier of the supply chain. 

Here are the Top Takeaways from the Program:

1. AUTOMATION IS REDEFINING THE ECONOMICS OF GLOBALIZATION

For decades, globalization spread manufacturing across the world, drawn by low labor costs and the assumption of stable trade routes. The pandemic, rising geopolitical tensions, and shifting domestic priorities have exposed the risks of overreliance on distant suppliers. At the same time, advances in automation and machine learning are reshaping the production-cost equation. As Amin explained, “When you bring in technology like automation and machine learning capabilities into operations, you neutralize the competitiveness of what it takes to build parts around the world. When you layer on less logistics and less inventory, it can actually be more affordable to produce in North America for North American operations.” As automation technologies advance, reshoring and nearshoring are poised to accelerate. 

2. PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS ARE KEY TO RESILIENT SUPPLY CHAINS

In a world increasingly dependent on rare minerals, semiconductors, and other critical components, both corporations and governments can no longer afford dependence on single suppliers, particularly amid mounting geopolitical tensions. “It takes a long time to build a more resilient supply chain,” Amin noted, underscoring the need for executives and policymakers to plan strategically for future disruptions. “Public and private sectors need to come together to have adequate scale and policy to drive a more resilient supply chain.” Amin pointed to GM’s partnership with the Department of Defense and MP Materials Corp., the United States’ only active rare-earth mining company, as an example of collaboration designed to strengthen domestic production of rare-earth metals, alloys, and magnets. 

3. REAL-TIME VISIBILITY IS THE BACKBONE OF RESILIENCE

“Resiliency is making sure you have more control over your supply chain—you know what’s coming and from where,” Amin explained. For a global company like GM—with 20,000 suppliers across 100 countries and over $100 billion in annual materials spend—visibility is not optional, it’s essential. In a crisis, every hour matters, and early insights can determine whether operations continue or stall. By deploying AI-driven event monitoring to detect and model risks from earthquakes to factory fires, companies can strengthen their ability to anticipate and absorb disruptions, achieving the kind of true, dynamic resilience demanded by today’s global economy. 

Next Steps:

Building resilient supply chains requires sustained collaboration among industry leaders, policymakers, and technology partners. Companies should prioritize investments in automation, data analytics, and AI-driven visibility tools to improve real-time risk detection and decision-making. Expanding public-private partnerships, especially in areas like rare-earth materials and semiconductors, can help diversify sources and reduce strategic dependencies. At the same time, organizations must develop long-term strategies to balance cost efficiency with resilience. Continued dialogue among corporate, government, and academic stakeholders will be essential to shaping the next generation of industrial geography and ensuring supply networks remain agile amid future disruptions.