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Redistributed manufacturing ecosystem for healthcare: An in-depth case study of on-body manufacturing using a micro-factory

Hughes, Ellen H.; Parry, Glenn; Davies, Philip; Martinez, Veronica

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Authors

Ellen H. Hughes

Glenn Parry Glenn.Parry@uwe.ac.uk
Associate Lecturer - BAM

Philip Davies

Veronica Martinez



Abstract

The shift from centralised to redistributed manufacturing (RDM) enables lower volume production closer to the site of use. The potential benefits of RDM are highlighted in the literature, but in this emerging field, understanding of how its adoption changes relationships within an ecosystem is limited. We provide a novel case study of an emerging portable, digitised micro-factory technology from healthcare that localises manufacture of therapeutics on the body of the patient. Taking a manufacturing ecosystems perspective, the paper contributes empirical evidence showing how the introduction of the micro-factory causes a change in the context of manufacture at the micro level and a change in inter-organisational and institutional relationships at the meso level. Our research shows how inanimate agents, such as digital micro-factories, can be actors within an ecosystem. We position the digitised micro-factory engaged in the service encounter as a resource integrating actor at the micro level of our ecosystem. The micro-factory's structure, components and architecture, are positioned at a new ‘sub-micro level’. This paper contributes to RDM theory, showing that technical advances can push redistribution of manufacturing to the individual level, where components of the micro-factory enable simultaneous production and use.

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Nov 13, 2023
Online Publication Date Nov 29, 2023
Publication Date Dec 15, 2023
Deposit Date Dec 4, 2023
Publicly Available Date Dec 6, 2023
Journal IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management
Print ISSN 0018-9391
Publisher Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 71
Pages 1690 - 1701
DOI https://doi.org/10.1109/tem.2023.3337000
Keywords Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Strategy and Management
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/11485779

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Copyright Statement
© 2023 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other work.





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