On 5 June 2025, SCALA hosted our 22nd Annual Supply Chain Debate, welcoming over 150 supply chain and logistics professionals to the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry. We were joined by panellists from Jordans Dorset Ryvita, Foundation for Future Supply Chain, Tangle Teezer and Ocean Logistics Group, China, to explore whether it’s time to rethink global supply chain strategies in light of shifting geopolitical, economic, and environmental conditions.
Live polling throughout the Debate revealed that 37% of attendees identified security and geopolitical conflict as the most pressing threat to UK international supply chains over the next five years. Cyberattacks followed closely behind at 33%. Yet, our findings also showed that globalised supply chains still hold strong: over half (51%) of respondents said they remain committed to global sourcing and operations, while 38% reported that they’re actively balancing between global and regional suppliers.
What became clear was that the landscape is in flux. A significant 71% of our audience agreed that we are moving toward more regional, hybrid supply chain models. Meanwhile, 94% believed the current trade tariff climate is likely to foster stronger ties between Europe and Asia.
Our panel brought together a range of expert perspectives from across manufacturing, logistics, and academia, with each speaker contributing valuable insights into the future of global supply chains.
Tiger Wang, Chairman of China-based Ocean Business Group and Co-Chairman of SCALA China, opened the session by reiterating the enduring value of global supply chains. He acknowledged the challenges but stressed their ongoing importance to economic growth in developing nations. Tiger called for more diversified supply and manufacturing footprints and encouraged greater collaboration between policymakers to promote resilience and reduce global tensions.
Jenn Smiley, Head of Customer Supply & Logistics at Jordans Dorset Ryvita, highlighted the increasing complexity we all face in global supply chain management, referencing disruptions like Brexit, the pandemic, and geopolitical instability. She championed the need for product diversification, strong logistics partnerships, and collaboration across the industry to navigate an increasingly volatile world.
Kirsty Lantos, COO at Tangle Teezer Ltd, shared that her business continues to see strategic value in maintaining a global supply chain, despite evolving market dynamics and growing consumer scrutiny of product origin. For Tangle Teezer, the benefits of a global model still outweigh the risks.
On the other side of the debate, Professor John Manners-Bell, founder of the Foundation for Future Supply Chain, Chief Executive of Ti Insight and author of The Death of Globalization, argued that globalisation has peaked. He warned of the UK’s vulnerability due to its dependence on offshore production and emphasised the role of automation and digital technologies in enabling nearshoring and revitalising local manufacturing.
SCALA Executive Director, Chris Clowes, who expertly chaired the Debate, explained that this year’s discussion underscored just how much the global supply chain landscape is evolving—and how crucial it is for businesses to adapt:
“What’s evident is that globalisation is no longer the default route. We’re witnessing a transition towards more flexible, hybrid models—approaches that reflect each business’s specific needs, challenges, and goals. Despite today’s increasingly complex and uncertain environment, most of our attendees agreed: we are not rejecting global supply chains outright, but rather, we are rethinking and reshaping them.”
Thanks go to all our speakers as well as to our audience of supply chain and logistics professionals for being so passionately involved in the discussion.
We’re also grateful to our event partners Aptean CILT (UK) Culina Group Limited DHL Supply Chain GXO Logistics, Inc. Infios Iron Mountain Warehousing & Logistics XPO Logistics Europe for their generous support in helping us bring this vital conversation to life.
Look out for more details on what unfolded during the event in our Debate Summary Report, which will be out soon. Please register your details here to receive a copy of this as soon as it is published.
