GMIS and Thales collaborate to explore 4IR and pilot IoT space project

The Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit  (GMIS), a joint initiative of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), has announced aerospace multinational Thales as an industry partner. The partnership will see GMIS and Thales collaborate to explore applications of the latest Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies in space, with the aim of developing a concept to pilot an Internet of Things (IoT) space project that can be expanded to all parts of the globe.

While the emphasis of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in manufacturing has been terrestrial, focusing on innovations that have drastically changed the way goods are manufactured, its impacts in space are indisputable with new innovations making space exploration more accessible and beneficial to society. In addition to advancing knowledge of the universe, space science and applications serve people worldwide through contributions to environmental monitoring, natural resource management, meteorological forecasting, climate modelling, satellite navigation, communications, and early warning systems for potential disasters, some of which ultimately support the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

A 2018 report on the State of the Satellite Industry, published by the Satellite Industry Association (SIA), estimated the size of the global space economy in 2017 to be US$348 billion and growing fast. Morgan Stanley forecasts that this will more than double by 2040, estimated to reach more than US$1.1 trillion.

Patrice Caine, Chairman and CEO of Thales said: “The space sector is at the core of how we communicate, how we travel, and how we help to keep people moving safely thanks to.  New technologies enabled by the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Having a complete understanding and experience of complex environments such as Space and IoT, dramatically helps us thrive in this new Revolution. Our partnership with GMIS will contribute to unleash the full potential of this revolution in a sustainable way.”

Thales’s expertise in space stems from decades of experience designing, operating and delivering satellite-based systems that drive connectivity and help optimise the use of the planet’s resources. This expertise is now backed-up by assets coming from Thales’ Digital Identity and Security unit (from Gemalto acquisition), with an end-to-end security approach based on data encryption and mutual-authentication between connected devices.  Meanwhile, the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit, the world’s first cross-industry and cross-functional platform, unites manufacturers, governments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), technologists, investors and civil society in a mission to harness the Fourth Industrial Revolution’s (4IR) transformation of the manufacturing sector to enable the regeneration of the global economy and  to deliver prosperity to societies across the world.

Badr Al-Olama, Head of the GMIS Organising Committee, said: “We are very excited to welcome Thales on board as our partner at GMIS. This partnership is a testament of the enabling role of the private sector to advance inclusive and sustainable industrial development in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through a global alliance, and answering the call for action by the Abu Dhabi Declaration. GMIS aims to bring leaders together from multiple sectors to engage in a dialogue around the future of the manufacturing sector, and we believe that Thales can make a significant contribution in shaping a future that is bright and resilient.”

The partnership was announced following the global adoption of the Abu Dhabi Declaration, a groundbreaking outcome from the 18th Session of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) General Conference. In an unprecedented move, UNIDO’s Member States, who had gathered in Abu Dhabi for the General Conference, agreed to join forces in calling on the global private sector to form a coalition to advance Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development. This first-of-its-kind agenda will address the pressing need for a global alliance made up of organisations from the private sector to focus on working towards a shared vision for global prosperity.

The third edition of the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (#GMIS2020) was held virtually on September 4-5, 2020 under the theme – Glocalisation: Towards Sustainable and Inclusive Global Value Chains. #GMIS2020 gathered a cross-section of close to 100 global leaders from the public and private sector, including Heads of State, Ministers, and thought-leaders from some of the world’s leading organisations who participated in more than 20 keynote addresses and panel sessions. Discussions focused on the major issues facing the manufacturing sector and explored how the adoption of 4IR technologies, localising production capabilities and capacity building, and spreading inclusive and sustainable development are critical to the future of global value chains. There was also a series of working group sessions which involved subject matter experts from industry and world-renowned organisations to discuss the development of a number of new initiatives the Summit plans to launch in the near future.

Patrice Caine, Chairman and CEO of Thales Group delivered a keynote speech on day 2 of the #GMIS2020 Virtual Summit focused on repurposing economies to deal with a post-crisis era.