The Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS 2019) opened in Yekaterinburg on 9 July 2019. The ceremony brought together government officials, representatives of business and world academia to discuss how to shape the future of global production.
In his welcoming address to the delegates, Chairman of the GMIS 2019 Organising Committee Badr Al Olama said: «We are here to reflect on the challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Amazingly, in order to address these challenges, we are now turning to nature and looking for advice from it.» He noted that true sustainable development begins in harmony with nature and that we have a responsibility to protect nature. «We are the guardians of the planet and our mission is to protect our home for the benefit of humanity,» Badr Al Olama stressed.
Dmitry Kozak, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, spoke on behalf of the Russian Government and the GMIS 2019 Organising Committee. He said it was not by chance that Yekaterinburg was chosen as the venue for this international event as this city «is not only the capital of the Ural, but also the industrial capital of Russia.» The Deputy Prime Minister also noted that synchronisation of GMIS with the main industrial exhibition INNOPROM will provide «an effective platform for strengthening international industrial cooperation, a unique discussion platform for jointly identifying the questions raised by industrialisation today.»
Suhail Al Mazroui, Minister of Energy and Industry of the United Arab Emirates, also addressed the Summit delegates during the opening ceremony. He thanked the Russian Federation, regional authorities and residents of Yekaterinburg for the «high standard of the preparations for the Summit,» calling GMIS 2019 «an ideal platform for cooperation between governments, the financial, business and academic communities.» «We are preparing to play a leading role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution and we will do so in cooperation with other countries, including Russia,» the Minister underlined.
The theme of cooperation was continued by Li Yong, Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). He noted that investment in cutting-edge technology, research and development, automation and robotics, while leading to a better quality of life, carried a risk of increased instability and job losses. «The Fourth Industrial Revolution will affect all of us and the expert discussions on these issues at GMIS can ensure a course is taken towards sustainable development. Here and now, we can launch a joint discussion of new industries based on nature-like technologies,» Li Yong believes.
In his speech to the delegates in the Summit, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Denis Manturov stated that the GMIS 2019 venue in Yekaterinburg «is hosting a large-scale discussion on how to make development of nature-like technologies a priority for all countries.» He is convinced that no single state can do this alone, that joint efforts are needed. Only an approach like this will allow industrial development to advance.
