Mr Thorson Achenback, Director of Digital and Global Sollution at BMW and Prof Khumbulani Mpofu, Co-Chair CMS2023 - TUT.
The three-day conference brings together local and international distinguished scholars, industry specialist, emerging researchers in production technology to exchange ideas, discuss innovations, and disseminate cutting-edge research under the main conference theme of Manufacturing in the Age of Disruption.
In his welcoming address to delegates, conference Co-Chair, Prof Khumbulani Mpofu, said the aim of CIRP is to promote scientific research, and particularly international cooperation, related to manufacturing processes, production equipment and automation, manufacturing systems, and product design and manufacturing.
“Although a scientific organisation, CIRP also encourages industry participation in its activities and promotes the industrial application of the fundamental research work,” said Prof Mpofu.
He promptly also indicated that the work being done of manufacturing value creation from developed technologies is key to the development of South Africa, to resolve the high unemployment rate, inequality and poverty, a keynote was presented in this regard.
Prof Mpofu shared his excitement on the great role South Africa is playing together with the global manufacturer BMW, through its digital hub in Pretoria in creating opportunities for the youth. He further pointed out the importance of proximity and exploring partnership with the BMW IT hub for social impact through manufacturing.
CIRP has over 170 corporate members in 30 countries, which include many of the world’s leading companies and non-university-based research institutions, as well as many other small and medium size enterprises.
Specific topics to be addressed during the three days supported by four keynotes:
- Biologicalisation in Manufacturing
- Sustainable and Circular Manufacturing
- Resilient Manufacturing Systems
- Internet of Things and Smart Sensing
- Smart Factories and Digital Twins and Industry 4.0
- Adaptive and Responsive Value Networks
- Additive and Digital Manufacturing
- Robotic Systems
- Human-Machine Cooperation & Industry 5.0
- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning