High-tech companies expect robust growth in their industry, and they're preparing for it by weighing a broader range of factors when building their manufacturing supply chain networks, according to the fifth annual UPS Change in the (Supply) Chain (CITC) survey.

Small appliances volume sales will surpass major appliances and grow by 22 percent globally by 2019, according to research by Euromonitor International. Global consumer interest is turning towards small appliances, such as air treatment, cooking appliances and vacuum cleaners, which reflects the huge demands for health care and life-enhancing products. More than half of global sales of these products are coming from China, followed by France, Japan and Turkey.

The introduction of Apple's smart watch hardly surprised the journalist and analyst community by revealing anything truly "revolutionary" or unexpected. However, the wearable tech device launch next year is still expected to shake up the nascent sector's supply chain.

A year ago, China's light-emitting diode industry seemed like a case study of industrial policy gone awry. Hundreds of factories built all over eastern China, often with lavish clean energy subsidies from state-owned banks and local governments, were operating at half capacity. The share prices of LED manufacturers were plunging. Now demand is surging, and the Chinese manufacturers suddenly find their factories running at full tilt, churning out LEDs faster and cheaper than global rivals.

Aiming to produce more electronics with the "Made in USA" label, Foxconn Technology Group said it was considering setting up a factory in Arizona to build TVs, display panels and product casings.