Credited with being the originator of the ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’ (Industry 4.0) and named by the 'Financial Times' as one of the leading authorities on strategy and competitiveness, Henrik von Scheel will address the 2020 National Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference & Exhibition being held on Wednesday and Thursday, January 29-30, at the Citywest Exhibition Centre, Dublin.
After setting a new record in terms of its scale and visitor numbers last year, the 2020 National Manufacturing and Supply Chain Conference & Exhibition has been extended to a two-day event to meet growing demand.
Horan Automation and Consulting was Micro Manufacturing Company of the Year at the 2019 IMR Manufacturing and Supply Chain Awards. Pictured at last year’s awards ceremony were (from left to right): Brian Cooney, general manager of Kuka Ireland (award sponsor); Emma Lacy, commercial director of Horan Automation and Consulting; and Gerry Horan, owner and MD of Horan Automation and Consulting.
Incorporating a comprehensive conference programme and an extensive exhibition area displaying the latest technological solutions and business services available, the 2020 National Manufacturing and Supply Chain Conference & Exhibition is the largest event of its kind in the country.
It serves as a national forum for manufacturers and operators involved throughout the associated supply chains from across Ireland, including the food, pharmaceutical, medical, chemical, life sciences and electronics sectors, to gather to discuss pressing issues facing Irish industry.
Industry 4.0 & The Digital Agenda
As one of the masterminds and driving forces behind Industry 4.0, Henrik von Scheel was an advisory group member for the Federal Ministry of Education & Research – an inter-ministerial innovation policy initiative tasked to define the high-tech strategy of Germany. The final ‘Industry 4.0’ report was announced in April 2013.
As part of the advisory council of the Federal Minister of Economy & Technology, von Scheel played a significant role in defining Germany’s future digital strategy in 2009.
The ‘Digital Agenda’ was subsequently adopted by the European Commission in 2010 as part of the Europe 2020 strategy and evolved into the European Digital Revolution.
The Digital Agenda for Europe (DAE) is one of seven flagship initiatives under the Europe 2020 strategy. It focuses on modern technologies and online services that will allow Europe to create jobs and promote economic prosperity.
Described by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt as: “One of the most pre-eminent strategic advisors of his generation,” von Scheel has helped shape government policies and influenced the performance of the fastest growing global companies. He has worked with 11 of the G20 nations and with 23% of the Fortune 500.
Von Scheel is scheduled to deliver an opening keynote address titled ‘Move beyond the 4.0 hype to deliver business value’ on the first day of the 2020 National Manufacturing and Supply Chain Conference & Exhibition.
He will later present a special VIP session on ‘The next generation of Operational Excellence for Smart Factories’. On the second day of the event he is due to conduct a ‘Smart Connected Factory Masterclass’.
Manufacturing represents almost a third of economy
The Irish manufacturing sector employs over 250,000 people and accounts for 32% of Ireland’s GDP – significantly higher than the European average of 15% and Germany at 21%.
Manufacturing also plays a key role in helping to address the regional imbalance in the Irish economy with more than 80% of operations outside of Dublin.
The Irish manufacturing industry is characterised by a wide diversity of activities and Ireland is now globally recognised as an innovation hub across many sectors.
Furthermore, Ireland’s strong economic track record, political stability and talent base are all important factors in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI).
However, the disruptive changes generated by the digital revolution and Industry 4.0 create both obstacles and opportunities for the manufacturing industry and Irish companies must evolve and adapt new technologies and skill sets.
The 2020 National Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference & Exhibition will highlight the key trends and challenges facing the industry, while also offering practical solutions, as well as showcasing the latest innovations, developments in best practice and new technological advances.
Co-located events
A distinctive feature of the National Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference & Exhibition is that it incorporates several complementary events – all under one roof.
The co-located events include: the Automation and Robotics Event; the IOT & Industry 4.0 Expo; 3 D Printing Expo; Lab2Cleanroom Live; the National Sustainability Summit; the National Medtech & Biotech Summit; the National Pharmaceutical & Life Sciences Expo; the National Procurement Summit; the Plastics, Printing & Packaging Show; the Supply Chain & Logistics Expo; and the Lean Productivity and Continuous Improvement Summit. Visitors are free to move between the different events.
2020 IMR Manufacturing and Supply Chain Awards
The announcement of the winners of the 2020 IMR Manufacturing and Supply Chain Awards at a special presentation dinner at the nearby Citywest hotel will mark a fitting conclusion to the opening day of the 2020 National Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference & Exhibition.
Covering 15 categories, the awards were established in order to recognise excellence and raise standards across the manufacturing industry and its associated supply chain.
Open to all companies on the island of Ireland, the awards competition highlights the implementation of smart thinking to enable competitive manufacturing, while reflecting Ireland’s capacity to deliver world class manufacturing and attract inward investment.
The awards are run by Premier Publishing & Events, the Dublin-based international conference and exhibition organiser and publisher, in association with Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR), the independent not-for-profit Research Organisation, funded under the Enterprise Ireland/IDA Technology Centres programme, to provide applied research solutions and advanced manufacturing expertise, technology transfer and training to the manufacturing sector in Ireland.
Forthcoming events
Henrik von Scheel’s presence at the 2020 National Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference & Exhibition, which is now in its seventh year, is considered a major ‘coup’ for Premier Publishing & Events.
The company has been staging a range of exhibitions and conferences in the UK and Ireland for many years. Forthcoming events during 2020 include:
- Northern Ireland Manufacturing & Supply Chain Expo - Titanic Exhibition Centre, Belfast - February 27
- National Construction Summit - Sport Ireland Campus, Blanchardstown - March 24,
- UK National Construction Expo - the Arena MK, Milton Keynes - May 6
- TechConnect Live – RDS, Dublin - May 28
- UK Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference & Exhibition - the Arena MK, Milton Keynes - July 1
- National Food & Drink Business Conference and Exhibition 2020 - Citywest Convention Centre, Dublin - on September 10
- Scotland Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference & Exhibition - SEC Glasgow - October 15
- UK TechConnect Live - Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes - November 24
- UK National Healthcare Expo - Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes - November 26.
For visitor registration please visit www.manufacturingevent.com. This is a trade only free to attend event.