Partnerships, Grants, Jobs, Action – the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit Delivers on Opportunity

The inaugural edition of the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS) opened in Abu Dhabi yesterday and its impact is already being felt, as global industry leaders, policymakers and civil society organisations unite to explore ways in which manufacturing and industry can fix the global economy and help create prosperity, opportunity and employment.

Less than an hour into the official conference opening yesterday evening (Tuesday 27 March, 2017) the global CEO of Siemens, Joe Kaeser, announced that the company would grant €100m in software licenses to UAE universities in partnership with AIESEC, the world's largest non-profit youth-run organization. The technology will support the development of the skills required to drive the country’s digital transformation in the Fourth Industrial revolution (4IR) era.

The announcement adds further weight to the UAE’s status as one of the most advanced and innovative hubs regionally for manufacturing and industry, as the UAE government pushes the 4IR agenda with a view to diversifying the economy; capitalising on opportunities emerging from the global value chain; creating game-changing and action-led partnerships between global industry leaders and local businesses and organisations; and developing high-skill, sustainable employment opportunities in the age of increased automation – meeting the increased demand to create jobs for the region’s youth and build a prosperous post-oil future.

Badr Al Olama, Chief Executive Officer, Strata Manufacturing, and Head of the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit Organising Committee, who opened the Summit with a passionate speech on the need for the manufacturing sector to work to solve the pressing issues of global inequality and create a more equitable and just world, said: “With GMIS, the UAE has created a platform in which leaders from international industry, global governments and civil society organisations can come together and forge alliances, develop policies and find tangible solutions to pressing global issues. Never before has a summit like GMIS been held – where the world’s manufacturing community can convene and not just talk but crucially act on issues which matter not just to industry, but to the world. The announcement from Siemens of €100m in software licensing for UAE youth to develop the skills needed in tomorrow’s workplace is just the start. Over the three days of this summit we will see much, much more.

The impact will be felt not just here in the UAE, but far beyond.  The time for change is now, the place to make that happen is here in the UAE at GMIS. I firmly believe that we could not have made this happen anywhere else in the world.  The Siemens announcement truly represents how companies can make transformative contributions to the world - starting with the youth.”

In an official statement issued by Siemens today on the grant of €100m in software licensing to UAE universities, Joe Kaeser said: “Contributing to knowledge transfer and developing local skills has always been a top priority for Siemens. This grant underscores our commitment to supporting the UAE’s ambitions for a diversified and flexible knowledge-based economy powered by skilled Emiratis and world-class talent.”

The inaugural Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit is being held at the Paris-Sorbonne Abu Dhabi University, UAE, until March 30, 2017. A joint initiative by the UAE Ministry of Economy and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and co-hosted with the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, the Summit is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. The Summit is the world’s first global gathering for the manufacturing community, bringing together decision-making leaders from governments, businesses and civil society organisations to shape a vision for the sector’s future.

The Summit is a global platform for participating attendees to learn from best practices from across the world.

This unprecedented global gathering will spark new ideas and set the stage for debate and action – addressing ways in which manufacturing can shape and reshape the world, integrating activities between developed and emerging markets, and delivering on social responsibility towards future generations.

Leaders from the public and private sectors, along with representatives from civil society organisations, will gather to discuss global challenges within the manufacturing sector, looking specifically at six themes: technology and innovation; global value chains; skills, employment and education; sustainability and environment; infrastructure; standards, and stakeholder alignment.