DUBAI, UAE, 1 July 2019: The UAE Ministry of Energy and Industry and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) called on global leaders from government, industry and academia to participate in the second edition of the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS), scheduled to take place from July 9 to 11 in Yekaterinburg, Russia, to address key topics that are emerging, as Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies continue to drive the transformation of the global manufacturing sector, the organisers said through a Press communiqué.

A joint initiative of the United Arab Emirates and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, GMIS is the world’s first cross-industry and cross-functional platform that unites manufacturers, governments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), technologists, and investors to build a roadmap towards investing in capabilities, fostering innovation and developing the skills needed to position the manufacturing sector at the forefront of global economic growth and as a key driver to advance the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, the communiqué said.

GMIS 2019 will gather thought-leaders from the global manufacturing community to engage in debates across over 40 sessions focusing on critical topics, including sustainability in manufacturing, circular economy, food security, future-cities, cybersecurity, the evolution of 3D printing, the future of work, and industrial policy and their role in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the communiqué said. Driving a dialogue around the role that manufacturers must play to support and advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is top of the Summit’s agenda, with special sessions dedicated to exploring ways in which industrial development can help tackle issues, such as world poverty and hunger, while safeguarding the environment and ensuring social inclusion, the communiqué said.

H.E. Eng. Suhail Mohamed Faraj Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy and Industry, said: “The UAE is fully committed to transforming the future of manufacturing in line with the SDGs and ensuring it plays a crucial role in helping to build the global economy. This drive is enabling us to shape a strong manufacturing sector and to lead global efforts to modernise it with Fourth Industrial Revolution technology. We invite policymakers from across the world to take part in driving this dialogue forward by placing 4IR technologies at the centre of their national agendas. We are proud to host the second edition of GMIS in Russia’s manufacturing hub, Yekaterinburg, from 9 to 11 July 2019.”

LI Yong, Director General, UNIDO, said: “The Fourth Industrial Revolution offers boundless possibilities for achieving the SDGs. However, many questions remain to be answered on associated challenges, especially the future of work. GMIS 2019 will offer a vision on the future of manufacturing through convening global partners in policymaking, business, research and civil society, working towards a consensus on how to achieve an inclusive and sustainable Fourth Industrial Revolution. Multi-stakeholder fora such as GMIS can provide added value, by constructing robust partnerships and offering the thought leadership necessary to drive the Fourth Industrial Revolution towards the achievement of the SDGs. In its capacity as Co-Chair of GMIS, UNIDO will mobilize its expertise, experience and network for the creation of shared prosperity leveraging the Fourth Industrial Revolution, through collaboration with all relevant partners in industrial development.”

Under the theme of Nature-Inspired Technology and the Future of Manufacturing, GMIS will highlight some of the greatest innovations in biomimicry through dedicated sessions that explore the many ways manufacturing can draw inspiration from existing systems in the natural world to solve complex human problems, the communiqué said.

With a dedicated theme for each day – global, local and future context – the Summit will ensure that all discussions are put into perspective for manufacturers and governments alike, to enable them to create clear roadmaps towards achieving tangible outcomes, the communiqué said. The Summit will also hold five Global Panorama Sessions covering developments in key regions, including Eurasia, Africa, Latin America, South and East Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the communiqué said.

Badr Al-Olama, Head, Organising Committee for GMIS, said: “Building on the great success of GMIS 2017 in Abu Dhabi, GMIS 2019 in Russia will once again unite the global manufacturing community and reinforce the importance of embracing the Fourth Industrial Revolution to promote economic and social development. Nature has already proven to be a powerful source of inspiration to both scientists and technologists, and GMIS 2019 aims to highlight its greater role in supporting the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals.”