General Electric has announced it will be a founding partner of the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS) in Abu Dhabi later this month. GE will bring their additive manufacturing expertise to the, “world’s first global forum to address and identify solutions to fundamental challenges in the manufacturing sector.”
The GMIS is a joint initiative between the UAE and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). The summit will take place during the 27th-30th March at Paris-Sorbonne University in Abu Dhabi. The American multinational will provide their ‘micro-factory’ model and help build Abu Dhabi’s first additive manufacturing micro-factory.
GE in UAE
GMIS will, “encourage greater investment in manufacturing, drive innovation, further skills development and promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable development worldwide.” GE has been expanding its additive manufacturing reputation recently with its own investments in manufacturing. GE acquired European 3D printing companies, Arcam and Concept Laser. The company has implemented additive manufacturing to build components for jet engines as seen in the GE9X, the LEAP engine nozzle. Industry recently heard from GE’s Edward Herderick, Corporate Supply Chain and Operations about how 3D printing is “totally disruptive and why we’re so excited.”
GE referred to the GMIS partnership as strategic in supporting digital industries and Jeffrey Immelt, GE’s Chairman and CEO, says “it is important we work with partners to progress the future of manufacturing.” Before going on to state that,
GE’s additive manufacturing and industrial internet enable us to support governments and industry in transforming economies through localized manufacturing and SME supply chain development thereby accelerating the goals of job creation and human capital development.
UAE and 3D printing
Industry has reported how United Arab Emirates continue to adopt 3D printing across multiple sectors of the economy. For example, the Dubai Health Authority is implementing 3D printing into dentistry in order to 3D print teeth by the end of the year. The country also implemented an initiative for construction last year to support the introduction of smart technologies such as 3D printing. The Smart Buildability Index hopes to expand the country’s construction capabilities in order to meet industrial standards by 2021. With this latest summit, UAE will look towards implementing 3D printing as a manufacturing technique.
This summit will help boost UAE’s manufacturing output and they will be primed to do so with GE as a partner. However, it is not just the United Arab Emirates that will benefit, as Jeffrey Immelt says,
Through our partnership with GMIS, we are promoting a culture of innovation and exploring the co-creation of digital industrial solutions to address global challenges and boost the competitiveness of the manufacturing sector.
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Featured image shows the Abu Dhabi skyline. Photo by Leonid Yaitskiy on Flickr.
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