GMIS to host country-focused conferences on innovation and cross-border partnerships

The Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit will host three country-focused conferences that will discuss the main drivers of the manufacturing sector and the latest technology-led trends.

The events will be held in partnership with Australia, Italy and the UK, and are intended to encourage greater cross-border investment, foster innovation and drive global skills development.

Technology such as robotics, mechatronics and artificial intelligence will also be review, with a focus on the key role they will play to revitalise the sector.

The Australia conference will take place on November 24 while the Italy and UK meetings will be held on November 25.

"In order for us to improve the status quo, we must come together and explore new and innovative ways to manage our businesses and our day-to-day lives. By being in an interconnected world, many questions will require us to be prepared for an unprecedented journey," Badr Al Olama, head of the GMIS organising committee, said on Wednesday.

The UAE continues to advance its ambitions to become a manufacturing powerhouse. In March, it launched Operation 300bn, a 10-year strategy to position the Emirates as a global industrial centre by 2031 and raise the industrial sector's contribution to gross domestic product to Dh300 billion, from Dh133bn.

The strategy includes updating legislation, including allowing 100 per cent foreign ownership of projects, and making dedicated financing available to transform the UAE into an attractive investment destination.

Operation 300bn aims to support 13,500 small and medium enterprises over the next decade.

Last month, Dr Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, expressed the country’s desire to deepen industrial co-operation with GCC countries to support the regional economy.

Efforts to develop the nation's industrial sector through the UAE Industry 4.0 programme were designed to increase industrial productivity by 30 per cent and add Dh25bn to GDP in the next 10 years, he said.

The GMIS conferences will also address issues such as the decarbonisation of aviation, construction, infrastructure and renewable energy generation.

Australia will be unveiling its Digital Economy Strategy 2030, as well as the final report of the Australia-UAE Business Council.

“The UAE and Australia have much to share within the field of trade, finance and economics. From the fields of energy and AI, to blockchain and FinTech, the UAE and Australia are paving the way forward for a successful and prosperous future. This conference is a crucial opportunity to deliver on our shared commitments," said Christopher Pyne, co-chair of the Australia-UAE Business Council.

Italy will feature a number of manufacturers and service companies, plus entrepreneurial leaders, to address the growth of the manufacturing sector and its contribution to financial and social stability.

“The establishment of national and international economic conditions that favour and facilitate investments in support of smart industrialisation is necessary to fuel the next phase of global economic development," said Barbara Beltrame Giacomello, a vice president at Confindustria, the General Confederation of Italian Industry.

"Companies and corporates will have to revitalise the manufacturing sector, capitalising on the opportunities linked to robotics, mechatronics, information and communications technology and AI to make the production processes sustainable."

The UK summit will highlight the role of low-carbon aviation fuels, alternate energy production and the role and limitations of hydrogen, while also addressing how industries are changing their “business as usual” approach to help protect the planet by using smart and environmentally friendly innovation.

"With Cop26 having just concluded, and with the recent announcement that the UAE will be hosting Cop28 in 2023, the world will be focusing more and more on the role that digitisation and disruptive technology can play in decarbonising industry," said Bradley Jones, executive director of the UAE-UK Business Council.

GMIS will run from November 22 to November 27 and will have more than 200 speakers. There will also be a Global Prosperity Conference and the Alternative and Renewable Energy Conference.

It will also run a manufacturing and advanced technology exhibition to showcase the UAE’s most innovative capabilities.