Page 30 - Annual Report A4

CHAIR AND TEAM

CONFERENCE

ATTENDANCE

anufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association (MESA) Africa held the 11th
annual conference, themed ‘the art of the possible; manufacturing without

Mlimits’. It was aimed at encouraging companies in South Africa, mainly
small and medium enterprises (SMMEs) to adopt Industry 4.0 in their line of work.

The conference attracted a wide range of industry leaders in South Africa and

international individuals with an interest in the growth of the economy. Attendees
had various professional backgrounds ranging from partners at PWC to students

at the Tshwane University of Technology. However, the majority of attendees were
system integrators or industrial engineers who work as consultants, implementors,

and system administrators. Various keynote speakers, both international and local,
presented their work either in person or virtually. Multiple business strategies and

metrics were highlighted by various consultants from Price Waterhouse Coopers
(PWC) on how Industry 4.0 is affecting the course of the business environment.

A key learning from the conference is that there is a need to close the gap with regards to

skills development, the industry test bed, technology, localisation and technology transfer
to create a balance for unskilled workers through ‘future production manufacturing’.

26 RESEARCH CHAIR IN MANUFACTURING AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2021/22