Global manufacturers are moving beyond reshoring as a universal solution to supply chain risk, instead investing in diversification, AI and real-time risk management. Accenture’s latest research suggests resilience is increasingly being built through adaptive operating models rather than wholesale relocation of production.
Reshoring Falls Back as Risk Becomes an Operating Condition
Accenture’s latest Pulse of Change data points to a clear reset in how global networks are being defended. Fewer than one in three supply chain and engineering executives plan to reshore or near-shore activity, and investment in domestic capacity still ranks at the bottom of strategic priorities, even after a modest uptick since January. The preference is to work with, rather than unwind, existing global relationships.
Partnership structures are bearing the weight of this shift. Roughly two-thirds of respondents have altered contracts, scope, or governance based on a partner’s country exposure or geopolitical alignment. Instead of exiting entire regions, companies are tightening terms, adjusting service boundaries, and building explicit risk expectations into commercial arrangements.
The operating environment has grown materially harder. More than three-quarters of respondents report that geopolitics, economic volatility, regulation, and compliance have raised the difficulty level of daily operations over the past six months. The pattern mirrors wider industry reports showing higher incident frequency across trade lanes, more complex customs and sanctions checks, and growing board scrutiny of network resilience.
Supply continuity now anchors strategic debate. Six in ten supply chain and engineering executives identify disruption as the factor most likely to force a major strategy reset in 2026, ahead of new technology, regulatory change, or talent shortages. That stands in contrast to broader C-suite sentiment, where technology impact ranks first and supply disruption follows behind.
The investment lens reflects this divergence. Forecasting quality, scenario capability, and structured risk management rank highest for operating leaders, while other executives lean more heavily toward generic digital and AI spending. To strengthen their position, companies are spreading volume across a wider vendor base, reassessing large capital projects, stepping up partnership and M&A activity, and building dedicated geopolitical risk capacity.
AI, Talent, and Regional Pathways to Resilience
AI is no longer framed as an experiment, but as an execution layer for complex networks. More than two-thirds of supply chain and engineering leaders expect to raise AI investment in the coming year, only slightly below the broader C-suite. The emphasis is less on immediate margin lift and more on equipping teams to make faster, AI-assisted decisions in planning, sourcing, and logistics.
Workforce preparation has moved to the center of this agenda. Around seven in ten respondents are funding upskilling and reskilling, and a large majority expect structured human-AI collaboration to emerge across several functions, or even become pervasive, within the next 12 months. That aligns with wider market moves toward control towers, digital twins, and decision copilots that augment planners with real-time scenarios and exception guidance.
Talent risk is not evenly distributed. Executives in the Americas are far more likely to see labor and skills shortages as the trigger for future strategy changes than peers in APAC or Europe. That pressure is consistent with tight warehouse and manufacturing labor markets in North America, where wage inflation and retention constraints make automation, AI-enabled workflows, and redesigned roles particularly urgent.
Regional responses to disruption also diverge. APAC decision-makers are most inclined to increase supplier and route diversification, reflecting exposure to climate events and shifting trade alignments across the region. In the Americas and EMEA, a larger proportion is concentrating on formal geopolitical risk management, aligning with a denser web of sanctions, trade disputes, and regulatory compliance obligations.
This pattern echoes other industry surveys that show large enterprises expanding multi-sourcing, segmenting inventory, and using near-real-time risk data feeds rather than committing to wholesale geographic exits. Where reshoring does occur, it often appears as part of a broader portfolio of options, not a singular fix.
Resilience Will Depend On Decision Agility, Not Geography Alone
As geopolitical uncertainty becomes a permanent operating condition, the strongest supply chains will be those that can sense, assess and respond to disruption without relying on costly network overhauls. Organizations that combine diversified supplier ecosystems, AI-enabled planning, disciplined governance and continuous risk monitoring will be better positioned to protect continuity, control costs and adapt quickly as global trade conditions evolve.
