Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, Abu Dhabi will host the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS) in March 2017. Organised by the UAE Ministry of Economy and co-hosted by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit is the world's first global gathering for the manufacturing community, bringing together leaders in business, government and civil society.

The Summit aims to contribute to the development of a global vision for the future of manufacturing based on fast-emerging Industry 4.0 technologies including the Internet of Things, big data, cloud computing, digital manufacturing and 3D printing. The Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit is being staged to highlight the global potential of the manufacturing sector, and the UAE Government's vision to strengthen the nation's post-oil economic base through policies that focus on diversity, research and development, creativity and innovation.

The manufacturing sector is central to building a sustainable knowledge-based and innovative economy and the UAE aims to create an additional USD70 million for the economy through investments in industry and manufacturing by 2025, thereby raising the industrial sector's contribution to GDP from 14 per cent currently to 25 per cent.  The UAE is among a number of countries currently working towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for 2030, implementing policies to build a sustainable knowledge-based and innovative economy. This is in line with the aims of the United Nations to establish global economies in which resources are used optimally for human benefit, and the environment is protected for future generations.

Abu Dhabi has been chosen to host the Summit's first edition in recognition of the key and growing role of UAE manufacturing companies in global value chains. The city is seen as a role model for its ability to rapidly build a diverse manufacturing base centred around world-leading technologies. The UAE has been able to effectively contribute to advanced global industries such as aviation, renewable energy, semiconductors, metals and mining, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and defence. Given its strategic location between east and west, its state-of-the-art infrastructure and competitive ability to attract global investment, the UAE has the potential to develop its manufacturing sector to become a key player by adopting the fourth industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0 technologies, as a key differentiator.

The UAE's economic vision focuses on building its knowledge-based and innovative economy through a skilled and highly competent workforce. This depends on a high level of integration between national manufacturing companies; the establishment of new, innovative industrial sectors; and the implementation of disruptive technologies in manufacturing.  The Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit will support the nation's innovation efforts by providing a platform for young Emirati entrepreneurs to discover the potential of disruptive technologies in manufacturing; especially in relation to emerging opportunities related to the Internet of Things, big data, data analytics, micro-factories and sustainable manufacturing. UAE companies will also be able to raise their competitiveness by engaging with global industry peers at the Summit.

The Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit will provide an ideal platform for UAE companies to form partnerships with major international manufacturers from across various sectors, with the potential to position themselves as key players within tomorrow's global value chains. It will provide existing and emerging local businesses with the opportunity to evolve from being primarily importers, to becoming early adopters and exporters of knowledge and innovation. Local companies will be able to explore these partnerships across industries and across geographies to help establish Abu Dhabi and the UAE as leading global hubs for Industry 4.0 technologies and manufacturing.

The inaugural edition of the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit is being held at the Paris-Sorbonne University on Al Reem Island, Abu Dhabi – a venue that symbolises the impoortance of new graduates in the future of manufacturing, and highlights the social responsibility of the manufacturing sector as a key driver in achieving positive economic transformation to create sustainable businesses and employment opportunities for future generations. Students equipped with the digital and technological skills needed by Industry 4.0 will be in high demand in tomorrow's global job markets.

The Summit will also provide a platform to hold meetings and discuss the development of new and innovative partnerships, and to showcase one-of-a-kind, world-first pilot projects that demonstrate the benefits that can be gained from cooperation between different industry sectors, and between global manufacturing leaders and local manufacturers and start-ups.  These pilot projects will aim to develop innovative ideas using Industry 4.0 technologies, focused on finding unique solutions for pressing global challenges including stagnant economic growth, diminishing finite natural resources and growing populations.

The Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit will also highlight many important issues in the manufacturing sector and in the global economy agenda, such as technology and innovation; global value chains; skills, jobs and education; sustainability and the environment; infrastructure; and the adoption of unified standards for important technological applications. The Summit will see the development of a universal declaration on these issues – The Declaration of Abu Dhabi - which will be submitted to the United Nations and form the basis of a roadmap for the future of the global manufacturing sector. This makes the Summit the first international platform to discuss these issues under the umbrella of the United Nations.

Abu Dhabi is currently preparing to launch its renewed industrial strategy, focused on sector specific growth in aerospace and defence, industrial equipment, and plastic and downstream products, supported by industries including steel, aluminium and petrochemicals. This is complemented by Dubai's Industrial Strategy, which was launched in June 2016, that focuses on six sub-sectors: aerospace, maritime, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, food and beverage, fabricated metals, and machinery and equipment.

The UAE is developing a number of important laws to promote manufacturing including a new foreign investment law.  UAE policymakers are dedicated to developing the best possible environment for attracting foreign investment in local manufacturing, including developing industrial infrastructure, and establishing advanced industrial and technological facilities for maximising production.

In line with Vision 2021, the UAE aims to be ranked among the top 10 countries on the Global Innovation Index on its 50th anniversary, and has established innovation as a major pillar driving economic development and policymaking. The UAE's current number one rank in the Global Innovation Index - MENA rankings for 2016 is a testament to the country's achievements to date.

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