Reading the latest special report from The Economist on the future of manufacturing; how 3D printing, new machines, new materials and new manufacturing processes will enable things to be made economically in smaller batches and with massively reduced human input. “The days of huge factories full of lots of people are not there any more” says Colin Smith of Rolls Royce. Says The Economist: “The wheel is almost coming full circle, turning away from mass manufacturing and towards much more individualised production.” What will this mean for mass producers like China, and high tech manufacturers like Germany? What will be the implications for employment everywhere?