Smart Manufacturing Week has become a true “must attend” event in the Greater Region. Its 5th edition will take place from 8 to 10 June in Luxembourg, with the objective of helping companies of all sizes and in all sectors to become digital and sustainable.
The focus this year will be on sustainable development. “This is a crucial issue for companies, as the stakes are very high,” notes Caroline Muller, Luxembourg Materials & Manufacturing Cluster Manager at Luxinnovation. “They have to take into account the whole European legislative aspect of carbon neutrality, with key deadlines in 2030 and 2050. They also need to face all the economic challenges that are prevalent: how to be more efficient and make energy savings, how to reduce CO2 emissions, what new materials to favour in order to replace expensive and polluting ones, how to prepare for the ecological transition, and so on.”
Meeting experts and partners
Smart Manufacturing Week, which will take place at the Chamber of Commerce, will include three days of thematic sessions, round table discussions and networking opportunities that will bring together technical experts and other partners with representatives of the manufacturing industry. “We are hoping for a strong participation from SME managers who generally do not have much time, but who are nevertheless the first to be concerned by these upcoming issues,” adds Georges Schaaf, Sustainability Manager at Luxinnovation. “It is essential to convince companies of the need to innovate in order to meet economic and environmental challenges.”
The event will be based on four pillars: information – on the challenges ahead; inspiration – through the sharing of experiences of local and international companies; support – provided by Luxinnovation, notably in the context of the new Fit 4 Sustainability programme, or by its partners such as FEDIL, the Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber of Skilled Crafts. – and networking – through matchmaking sessions with experts and service providers.
The opening day will be marked by a welcome message from Minister of the Economy Franz Fayot, as well as by some renowned international speakers: Andy Schmidt, Chief Community Officer at Seismic, Dr. Ing. Stephan Neugebauer, Chairman of the European Road Transport Research Advisory Council (ERTRAC) and Dr. Maiya Shibasaki, Head of Corporate Sustainability at Siemens Healthineers.