GMIS announces legacy initiative to promote industrial healthcare innovation

DUBAI — The Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS) on Tuesday announced the intent to establish the Global Biomedical Industrial Centre, a collaborative legacy initiative that will take shape in the UAE.

The initiative will be implemented in partnership with the UAE  Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).

The initiative sets to advance manufacturing capabilities in the life sciences sector, foster cooperation between governments and biomedical enterprises, and prepare the world to predict and respond to future healthcare threats through a centralised hub of excellence, according to a GMIS statement.

The Global Biomedical Industrial Centre will facilitate collaborative efforts to develop cutting-edge medical products and solutions, facilitate knowledge transfer of life science innovations and capabilities, and promote the adoption of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies to build global resilience in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the statement said.

Inspired by the UAE’s tremendous leadership in curbing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the production of advanced protective equipment and contact tracing initiatives, the “Global Biomedical Industrial Centre” was announced at the fourth edition of the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (#GMIS2021) by Omar Al Suwaidi, undersecretary of Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, Badr Al Olama, head of the GMIS Organising Committee, and Bernardo Calzadilla-Sarmiento, UNIDO managing director.

Suwaidi said: “COVID-19 has taught us that leadership, science, technology and scaled-up collaboration can achieve near-miracles. Importantly, the crisis has underlined the importance of a collaborative industrial sector that works alongside partners across public and private sectors to boost productivity and enhance the quality of products, not just in a medical context, but across every sphere.   

“The Global Biomedical Industrial Centre will draw on the UAE’s considerable innovation capabilities, demonstrated during the height of the pandemic when we were able to respond — at speed — by producing vaccines and manufacturing the personal protection equipment so critical for healthcare workers to save lives, regionally and across the globe. The centre embodies the UAE’s position as an emerging R&D hub employing global standards and transitioning to becoming a regional and global centre for manufacturing,” he added.

The Global Biomedical Industrial Centre will position itself as a leading hub to develop effective policy responses to future risks, expand technological and manufacturing capabilities in both developed and developing economies, provide a platform for healthcare data sharing, and mitigate global disparities in access to medical supplies and innovations, the statement said.

In addition, the centre will contribute towards the harmonisation of regulatory policies and standards needed to drive the adoption of technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things and 3D Printing in the healthcare industry, while strengthening collaboration between R&D, technology developers and life sciences enterprises to manufacture vaccines and medical equipment efficiently and competitively.  

Calzadilla-Sarmiento said: ”Manufacturing, both in its digitalised and traditional forms, has shown its value in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic and improving resilience and recovery. From production of personal protective equipment and ventilators to harnessing AI for contact tracing, industry has been crucial to the mitigation of the crisis.

“As we move forward towards the post-pandemic phase, the onus is now on the international community to adopt preventative approaches to future global disruptions, harnessing data and digital capacities, upscaling industrial capabilities and life sciences to avoid crises. UNIDO looks forward to taking the next steps to operationalize the Global Biomedical Industrial Centre, in partnership with the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology and GMIS.”

“The launch of this unconventional global initiative represents the outcome and lasting legacy of #GMIS2021 and highlights the summit’s commitment to promoting advanced industrialisation and digital innovation, while contributing to sustainable economic development and wellbeing of societies around the world,” read the statement.

Under the theme “Rewiring Societies: Repurposing Digitalisation for Prosperity”, #GMIS2021 is held at EXPO’s Dubai Exhibition Centre, featuring heads of state and CEOs of some of the largest organisations participating in 30 sessions.

The Global Biomedical Industrial Centre was announced at a press conference ahead of a panel discussion titled, “UNIDO and the Global Health Initiative: Utilising Cyber-Physical Technology to Enhance Pandemic Resilience and Improve Health Outcomes”.

Badr Al Olama, head of the Organising Committee of the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation, said: “As the world embraces the digital revolution, we must leverage our combined knowledge, insights and resources to promote sustainable industrial development and tackle the toughest socio-economic challenges. This belief is at the core of the Global Biomedical Industrial Centre, a landmark initiative by GMIS, UNIDO and the UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology to develop constructive solutions for future health emergencies and risks.

“The centre is also a clear demonstration of the UAE’s commitment to expanding a digitally powered manufacturing sector, advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and creating an inclusive, just and sustainable global economy.”

Under the theme “Rewiring Societies: Repurposing Digitalisation for Prosperity”, the #GMIS2021 Summit took place on November 22-23 and gathered a cross-section of close to 125 global leaders from the public and private sector.