The Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS) and France’s Alliance Industrie du Futur have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop growth opportunities in the manufacturing sector stemming from fast-emerging Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies, said a report.

The agreement was signed by representatives from both sides at a high-level meeting in Paris, France, and discussed the new approach that manufacturers will adopt to thrive in the connected era, according to state news agency Wam.

The inaugural GMIS event will take place from March 27 to 30, at the Paris-Sorbonne Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Badr Al Olama, chief executive officer, Strata Manufacturing, and head of the GMIS organising committee, and Philippe Darmayan, president of the Alliance Industrie du Futur, signed the MoU in the presence of Maadhad Hareb Meghair Jaber AlKhyeli, UAE Ambassador to France, it said.

Al Olama said that realising and adopting the potential of technology and innovation is critical for companies and countries.

He added that as 4IR technologies become key to global competitiveness, organisations such as the Alliance Industrie du Futur, which are mandated to pursue paths that will lead to further globalisation of trade, will play a central role in translating the benefits to communities through employment and improved standards of living.

Additionally, Darmayan stated that in the context of the 4IR, France is determined to channel the technological capabilities of the Internet of Things and the innovations of this new connected era to excel in terms of global competitiveness; building an industrial society that is based on forward-thinking solutions that revolutionise the ways in which we work, create, and do business.

He further noted that this growth demands collaboration between global partners from both the public and private sectors, and hence supports GMIS.

Darmayan added that with the objectives well-aligned, the companies will pursue, together, the promotion of global standards for 4IR technologies and international cooperation.