The Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS) kicked-off today in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, with an attendance of over 2500 officials and dignitaries from all over the world, including leaders from the host country, the Russian Federation, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), China, Austria, and India, as well as representatives from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and other United Nations entities.

 The second edition of the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS) got underway with a light show and technology display featuring robots to tell the story of the evolution of industrialisation. The show emphasised how technology, when inspired by nature, can offer the potential to bring about major transformation of the manufacturing sector and for humanity.

 Delivering the welcome address, Badr Al-Olama Head of the Organising Committee, Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit focused on how we must turn to nature for inspiration as we develop new technologies in order for us to be able to provide a path to a more sustainable future for humanity.

 Al-Olama said: “As custodians of the planet, we have a collective responsibility to protect it for all humanity. In an era in which the general talk is of smart phones, smart cars, and smart homes, it is smart thinking that is needed to turn a serious mind to our relationship with one another, and with society as a whole. The early seeds that were planted at the Paris Climate Accord are now taking root. We must not let ourselves stray away from the commitments that were made; commitments that were made with future generations in mind.”

 Dmitry Kozak, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation delivered a special address to delegates, welcoming them to Russia and emphasising Yekaterinburg’s ‘rightful claim’ to being the country’s industrial capital thanks to its establihsed manufacturing base. Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak stressed that the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS) serves as a platform to strengthen industrial manufacturing cooperation and provide for a coordinated understanding of the future at a time when economic competition and rivalry was creating uncertainty.

Eng. Suhail Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Industry, United Arab Emirates, told delegates that the Global Manufacturing and Industrial Summit (GMIS) offered a way to share learnings on the Fourth Industrial Revolution and how it is transforming our way of life and can contribute to the prosperity of humankind by advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. He told the audience that the UAE is fully committed to advancing its manufacturing sector and that the country is putting these words into action by launching multiple initiatives, such as appointing the first Minister for Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the world, launching a national strategy for advanced innovation, and the establishment of the Dubai 3D printing strategy. He said these initiatives would prepare the UAE to play a key role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).

He added that the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit, through its partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), would help the UAE to spread its commitment to advance manufacturing throughout the world.

 LI Yong, Director General, United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), said that technology offered the promise of making manufacturing more efficient, which could help achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. He cited the example of how drone technology is being used for precision agriculture which was contributing to global food security. Though the benefits of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies should not be underestimated, he said, we must be aware of the risks that new technologies might present so that we can prepare accordingly and focus on prosperity in the new industrial era.

Yong added: “The Fourth Industrial Revolution will affect everyone, so everyone must be listened to; this is why we have created GMIS - to promote sustainable industrial development and to promote sectors that are not well-known, nature-inspired technology being one such sector.”

 Denis Manturov, Minister of Industry and Trade, Russian Federation, said the changes being brought about by advanced technology would make manufacturing more efficient and raise living standards for the whole world. However, each previous cycle of the industrial revolution had led to an increase in humanity’s environmental footprint, climate change, pollution, and ecological degradation. He said all countries must prioritise the task of the rebuilding the biosphere, and key to this is the development of nature inspired technology, which can inspire us to advance without harming the environment.

He stressed the need for joint action and joint solutions and that the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit offered a platform for wide ranging discussion on this subject. No country can do this alone, he said adding that we must set aside protectionism and restrictions of trade. A common approach would allow humankind to arrive at environmentally friendly and sustainable solutions to all challenges in the coming decades. He also emphasised Russia’s determination to become a leader in nature inspired technologies.

  Agencies