Attributes of quality and competitiveness in electronics manufacturing firms

It is expected that growth in exports of the Finnish electrical and electronics industry will be a challenge for the industry as a whole. The role of electronics in industry was considered a necessary area for further investigations in the Vaasa Region. This paper describes the reindustrialisation survey developed for the analysis. Quality is crucial to the success of electronics manufacturing. Based on the needs of the local energy industries the objectives for quality and reliability are even more important. Analysis of the perceived competitive advantages among firms was often related to quality and competence. The analysis of the competence areas in the manufacturing and design of electronics suggests that quality is highly related to product development. In order to ensure their product competitiveness, firms also need new competences in manufacturing. Competitiveness of the firms was found to be twofold. Major firms in the energy industries are very competitive in exports. However, the firms specialising in electronics were typically SMEs. It was discovered that the competitiveness among those SMEs is often limited to domestic markets. Some opportunities to enhance the competitiveness of the electronics manufacturing firms in the region were found. New possibilities are related to the increased use and development of subcontracting services and on the other hand to the new objectives found for educational activities.