The third edition of the Global Manufacturing and Industrialization Summit (GMIS2020) will be held virtually on September 4-5 to discuss the role of the leaders of the industrial sector in confronting the coronavirus pandemic by formulating a new global approach for a sustainable future.
GMIS was established in 2015 as a joint initiative between UNIDO and the Ministry of Energy and Industry of the UAE to help create new partnerships, initiatives and actions connected to digital manufacturing.
Under the theme: “Glocalization: Towards Sustainable and Inclusive Global Value Chains,” the GMIS2020 virtual summit will feature about 100 influential global leaders from the public and private sector, including heads of states, ministers, and thought-leaders from some of the world’s leading organizations.
The summit will feature more than 20 virtual sessions to discuss pathways to accelerate the role of Fourth industrial revolution (4IR) technologies to build more resilient global value chains and restore prosperity in a post-pandemic world.
The opening session will cover the “trillion-dollar question: in an age of digital restoration, how are leaders repurposing our economies to deal with a post-crisis era?”
Saudi Minister of Energy, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, will be joined by his Russian counterpart, Alexander Novak, and UAE Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei to discuss “Energies of future: the time for clean energy is now”.
The discussion will focus on addressing climate change through decarbonizing the energy-intensive manufacturing sector with affordable, low-carbon technologies.
The Russian Minister said that the movement towards "green" energy takes on the nature of pressure on the energy industry in some cases.
He noted that all decisions made must be weighed, warning that energy inequalities are still widespread, and fossil energy sources can also be environmentally neutral considering the development and application of modern technologies.
“Natural gas remains very promising as a low-carbon energy source, the prospects for expanding the share of its use in the energy balance are quite high, including in electricity generation, despite the increase in the share of renewable energy sources."
Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar al-Khorayef will deliver a keynote addressing: “The Policymakers' Challenge: navigating through a recession.”
It will be followed by a discussion with Minister of Industries of Bangladesh Nurul Majid Mahmud, Minister of Trade and Industry of Rwanda Soraya Hakuziyaremye, and Chairman of Skolkovo Foundation Arkady Dvorkovich, to address these issues further.
In light of the crisis caused by the pandemic, many countries began to look for renewable energy sources and encourage their use through stimulus packages launched to achieve long-term economic recovery in line with the United Nations' sustainable development goals.
Head of GMIS' organizing committee Badr al-Olama called on delegates participating in the virtual summit to step up and contribute in the post-COVID-19 transformation of the global economy.
Olama stressed that the world is at a defining moment and the coronavirus crisis has presented a unique window of opportunity to create a new paradigm of collaborative management, “one where all stakeholders can work together in delivering a more inclusive, sustainable and prosperous future for all of humanity.”
