Scrap and build

Japanese: スクラップ･アンド･ビルド

Originally, this term was used in conjunction with the rationalization of the coal mining industry (after 1955), to refer to the disposal (scrap) of inefficient equipment (machines and buildings) and the replacement (build) of more efficient equipment. This can happen at individual companies, but the term is generally used when the disposal of old equipment and the introduction of new equipment are carried out with a unified awareness on an industry-wide scale. For example, when Japan's textile industry was in trouble as developing countries were catching up (wage rates in developing countries are much lower, so similar equipment can produce cheaper products than Japan), the industry got together and, with support from the government, scrapped old equipment and introduced new equipment with high automation and high labor productivity, thereby regaining competitiveness.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

もともとは石炭産業の合理化(1955年以降)に際していわれた言葉で，能率の悪い設備(機械や建屋)を廃棄し(スクラップscrap)，これを高能率の設備に置き換える(ビルドbuild)こと。個々の企業で起こりうるが，一般に，業界全体の規模で統一的な意識のもとに，旧設備の廃棄と新鋭設備の導入が行われる場合に，この言葉が使われる。たとえば，日本の繊維産業が発展途上国の追上げ(途上国のほうが賃金がかなり低いため，同じような設備では日本より安価な製品を生産できる)によって苦境に陥ったとき，繊維業界がまとまって政府の支援を得て，旧設備を廃棄するとともに自動化の進んだ労働生産性の高い新鋭設備を導入して，競争力の回復をはかったことがある。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

<<: Scrapbook - Scrap book (English spelling)

>>: Scrubber