The Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS), a joint initiative by the UAE and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (Unido), has announced the formation of the GMIS2020 ‘Higher Committee’ made up of renowned German organisations and associations.

The associations will jointly support in delivering the third edition of the summit.

The announcement was made at a press briefing hosted by the GMIS at the UAE Embassy in Berlin, which is followed by a meeting by the committee to discuss the progress and updates in regards to GMIS2020.
 
The global manufacturing sector stands at the cusp of a new era of progress with the wide-spread adoption of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies. The summit is a platform established to forecast the future of science, ignite technological transformation, promote enduring partnerships, and inspire the next generation of leaders and innovators to create a roadmap towards global prosperity.

GMIS2020 will take place alongside Hannover Messe one of the world’s largest industrial technology trade fairs, between April 20 and 21, under the theme – Glocalisation: Towards Inclusive and Sustainable Global Value Chain.

Inviting high-level representatives from Germany’s industrial community to guide and shape the agenda of GMIS2020 will ensure relevance and strategic integrity of the universally agreed consensus for the future of manufacturing, which the summit aims to achieve.
 
Badr Al Olama, head of the organising committee for GMIS, said: “Since its inception, we have gathered momentum and international recognition as the global platform for discussions and debate over the future of manufacturing.”

“The central theme for GMIS2020, ‘glocalisation’, was selected as a reflection of industrial trends emerging worldwide and being enabled by digitalisation,” he said.

“By redefining global value chains, we must also safeguard inclusive and sustainable growth to ensure everyone everywhere benefits from industrialisation,” he added.
 
The primary responsibility of GMIS2020 ‘Higher Committee’ is to provide strategic guidance that will shape the themes, agenda, and discussions of the summit and ensure high-level participation from Europe, and Germany in particular in order to deliver tangible outcomes.

Members of the ‘Higher Committee’ include leading German experts from the manufacturing sector – Holger Lösch, deputy director general and executive board member of The Federation of German Industries (BDI), Dr Volker Treier, deputy chief executive officer and head of Foreign Trade of The Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK), Abdulaziz Al-Mikhlafi, secretary general of the Arab-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GHORFA), and representatives from the Deutsche Messe, UNIDO, The Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA), German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturer’s Association (ZVEI), and Association for Electrical, Electronic and Information Technologies (VDE).
 
Bernardo Calzadilla-Sarmiento, director, Department of Trade, Investment and Innovation for UNIDO said: “GMIS is a vital platform for designing a future for the manufacturing and industrial sectors that benefits all. I am honoured to join the GMIS Higher Committee to ensure that the discussions held during GMIS2020 include key players from all facets of the industry, so that we may facilitate the design of universal standards that make up the framework for the future of industry.”
 
Krister Sandvoss, global director, Industries & Logistics for Deutsche Messe, added: “Germany’s manufacturing sector is a cornerstone in the history and future of our country, so as we enter the 4IR, it is critical that we forge a path that unlocks the potential of new technologies such as AI, machine learning and additive manufacturing.”

“Hannover Messe is proud to be a pioneer of the digital revolution and therefore, we are delighted to be working with GMIS to further cement our standing on the global stage, whilst working with our international partners to ensure the global economy benefits from the changes ahead,” Sandvoss added.
 
Germany was selected to host the summit due to its standing as one of the world’s most advanced industrial economies, and its actions in actively contributing to sustainable industrial development through innovation and the adoption of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies.
 
Germany is Europe’s largest economy and one of the world's largest exporters. It is renowned as an international leader of the manufacturing sector due to the superior quality of its products across major industrial sectors, including automotive, aviation, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, electronics, energy and environmental technologies.

Germany is also a pioneer of digital innovation, through the "Industry Strategy 4.0" initiative, one of 10 future initiatives launched by the German Government under the "Advanced Technology Strategy 2020". Through its commitment to delivering the potential of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Germany plans to invest 2.5 billion Euros in Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies by the end of the year. As a result, its medium and high-tech exports account for 73 per cent of total industrial exports.
 
The members of the higher committees have been selected due to their significant experience and the potential to enable the GMIS to design uniform, global industrial standards that facilitate sustainable industrial development which will enable manufacturing sector to be at the heart of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), empowering global prosperity in the process, it stated. – TradeArabia News Service