Crisis resilience through a remanufacturing supply of electronics

Paper in proceeding, 2026

The increasing frequency of global supply chain disruptions, exemplified by the Covid-19 pandemic, has exposed vulnerabilities in the provision of critical electronic components. This study investigates the potential of remanufacturing electronic products as a strategy to enhance crisis resilience and secure supply chains, focusing on the Swedish societal context. Through the analysis of three distinct remanufacturing business models-Contracted Remanufacturer (CR), Original Equipment Remanufacturer (OER), and Independent Remanufacturer (IR)-the research explores the prerequisites, challenges, and opportunities associated with emergency production via remanufacturing. Data were collected in a comparative study through study visits, interviews, workshops, website analysis, and expert consultations focusing on three companies that do remanufacturing of electronic components: one in each business model category (CR, OER, IR). Findings reveal that remanufacturing can restore used electronic parts to a condition equivalent to new, offering a viable alternative for emergency supply, particularly for spare parts. However, significant supply chain challenges persist, including access to design specifications, software, and variability in core conditions. OERs benefit from internal design knowledge, enabling better quality assurance, while CRs and IRs face greater hurdles in scalability and quality control. This study concludes that developing flexible, quality-assured remanufacturing capabilities is strategically important for crisis preparedness. Achieving this requires coordinated efforts at the company (micro), supply chain (meso), and societal (macro) levels, including regulatory support and collaborative procurement strategies. These efforts are essential to ensure the continuity of societal infrastructures dependent on electronic components during crises.