Organised over five consecutive days, the 2020 edition of Smart Manufacturing Week allowed for more in-depth exploration of each of the themes highlighted in the programme. With the support of Minister of the Economy Franz Fayot and the presence of a representative of the European Commission, this event naturally fit in with both the national and the European strategy for the digitalisation of industry.
The format of the event and the preparatory work prior to each of the webinars offered the various speakers an opportunity to get to know each other better. “Some of them had never met each other before and discovered with interest what the others were doing. This is also part of Luxinnovation’s strength: putting economic players in touch with each other,” says Caroline Muller, manager of the Luxembourg Materials & Manufacturing Cluster.
With three speakers per webinar, everyone had enough time to express themselves and answer questions. “There was a very good complementarity between the different speakers and their presentations,” says Charles-Albert Florentin, manager of the Luxembourg Cleantech Cluster.
An opportunity more than a threat
More than 320 people registered to the 2020 edition, which focused on new technologies and processes. Several representatives of the manufacturing industry shared their experience in digital transformation, intelligent processes and sustainability strategies aimed at meeting the challenges of tomorrow.
“When asking whether digitalisation should be considered as an opportunity or a threat, the answer given by the participants was unanimous: it is an opportunity,” notes Jean-Paul Hengen, Company Relationship Manager at Luxinnovation.
The various topics discussed also had a sustainability dimension, in a context where circularity now seems to have become a matter of course. “The crisis we are experiencing shows that we need to change things and that we need to do it now,” notes Philippe Genot, manager of the Luxembourg Wood Cluster. “The Smart Manufacturing Week has shown that the solutions exist, but that a global approach is needed for their implementation. Holistic thinking is necessary to give coherence to all these solutions.”
Anthony Auert, manager of the Luxembourg AutoMobility Cluster, adds: “Becoming more circular and adopting a sustainable approach will generate concrete business opportunities for SMEs.”
