If the economic crisis has taught us anything it is that manufacturing is critical to economic health. As a result, policy makers around the world are striving to produce favorable conditions for this highly competitive industry. However, bringing manufacturing jobs back home to the United States gives rise to a few global challenges, as well, such as import regulations, raw material control and limits on technology transfer. The World Manufacturing Forum intends to delve into these challenges and discuss ways to develop global cooperation for sustainable economic success.

The Forum, themed “The Way Forward to Global Prosperity through Intelligent Manufacturing Collaboration,” will be held Oct. 22-23 at the Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. The event brings together high-level industrialists, policy makers, and key societal stakeholders from around the world to exchange ideas on major macroeconomic trends and manufacturing innovations. And because technology and skills are key innovation differentiators, the Forum will also discuss the role of educational institutions, companies and unions in training the next-generation of workers in the highly technical field of manufacturing.  

Three of Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute’s External Advisory Board members will serve as speakers at this influential event:

• Dr. Charles Wessner with the National Academy of Sciences will chair a session on “Innovation in Production: The Next Generation of Manufacturing.” Dr. Stephan Biller with GE Global Research will also speak on this topic.
• Dr. Mike McGrath, Analytic Services Inc., will chair the discussion on “Cyber Security Issues for Manufacturing.”
• In addition, Dr. Tom Kurfess, with Georgia Tech’s George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, will chair the presentation on “Game Changing Key Technologies for Manufacturing.”

To learn more about the World Manufacturing Forum, please visit: www.worldmanufacturingforum.org. If you would like to register for the event, please e-mail info@worldmanufacturingforum.org to request your unique registration passcode.