Jan 12, 2017 | By Tess
On January 17, political and business leaders from all over the world will come together in Davos, Switzerland for the 2017 World Economic Forum. While the meeting is usually considered something of a lavish socializing event, this year the agenda looks to be a bit more serious. The forum, which is taking on the theme of “Responsive and Responsible Leadership,” will seek to address how governments and businesses can tackle such changes as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, building a global governance system, restoring world economic growth, and more.
The fact that the Fourth Industrial Revolution is at the top of the forum’s agenda is telling, I think, as economic and industrial changes tend to have both positive and negative consequences. The Fourth Industrial Revolution, as readers will know, refers to a slew of technological innovations that are contributing to a changing industrial and manufacturing landscape. Such technologies include 3D printing or additive manufacturing, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, robotics, Internet of Things, autonomous vehicles, biotechnology, and quantum computing.
Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum
As we see on a daily basis, these technologies are advancing at astonishing rates, and there is little doubt that 2017 will see more game-changing innovations and technological breakthroughs. Amidst these changes, the question persists as to how certain industries and workforces can or will adapt to these developments, as our society begins to look more and more like a sci-fi reality.
In terms of 3D printing, manufacturers are increasingly turning to the technology to streamline prototyping processes, create more complex designs, and increase the number of custom-made end-use parts. From a manufacturing standpoint, all these are great, and there is little question that additive manufacturing is ushering in a more efficient, even ecologically minded production process. Challenges do remain, however, including how to bridge the gap between old and new processes to make the transition as seamless as possible. It will undoubtedly be interesting to see what is proposed at the World Economic Forum next week.
Other key areas of discussion will be geared to establishing a dynamic global governance system with a framework for global cooperation; the restoration of global wealth; rethinking and reforming market capitalism in order to restore consistency between the business world and the rest of society; and finally to discuss issues of identity pertaining to the endemic loss of faith in institutions and certain social structures. Evidently, the Davos World Economic Forum will be dealing with some big issues, most of which seem to be related to globalization.
Posted in 3D Printing Events
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