UAE will host the world’s first Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS) in 2016. The biennial forum will bring together representatives from global governments, industries, civil society, students and academia to shape the future of manufacturing. Hosted by the UAE’s Ministry of Economy with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and in collaboration with the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Agenda Council for the Future of Manufacturing, the two-day Summit, in the second half of 2016, will focus on innovation, infrastructure, capital, markets, value chains, policy, society, environment and skills.
The Summit will debut in Abu Dhabi next year and will return to the UAE capital in 2018 with the emirate hosting every second edition thereafter. The inaugural Summit is expected to attract more than 1,000 government and industry attendees, plus representatives of civil society and more than 300 UAE and Gulf industrial stakeholders, students and academia representatives.
The high-level, first-of-its-kind initiative will be chaired by UNIDO’s Director General Li Yong and the UAE Minister of Economy, His Excellency Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansoori.
“This will be a global gathering of minds comprising public and private sector leaders and key representatives of civil society,” said HE Sultan Al Mansoori. “They will shape a vision for the future of manufacturing. Historically and until today, manufacturing is an engine for economic growth, driving skills development, innovation and technology across all sectors.
“The UAE believes that industrial innovation is vital to our goal of building a sustainable, knowledge-based economy and this summit gives us the opportunity to address, and showcase, the country’s knowledge-based industrial sector to the world.
“Never before has manufacturing been the focus of such a meeting of minds that will enable all participants to share best practices and experiences from all over the world, facilitate knowledge transfer from leading international experts, along with the exclusive opportunity to strengthen business networks that could, eventually, stimulate foreign direct investment and economic activity in countries represented.”
