Innovation and risk management pillars to support rapid change

This year's edition of the World Manufacturing Forum shifted its gaze forward by working to define priorities and lines of development with a 2030 perspective. This is because the changes that are taking place in the world, and in industry in particular, are so numerous and dynamic that it is not possible to analyse them independently, but an overall view is required, from the top and looking forward. In order to read through this complexity, it is important that bodies such as the Wmf work to define scenarios and pathways for a competitive, attractive and sustainable development industry. In 2030, manufacturing will in many contexts be radically different from how we know it today. For this reason, the recommendations contained in this year's Report, presented at Mind Milano Innovation District on the first day of the Forum, start from the premise that in a rapidly changing manufacturing world, resisting change is like swimming against the current. Embracing change as an opportunity is key to identifying paths of transformation and development in a competitive landscape that requires rethinking business strategies, adopting new technologies and exploring new markets and rapidly evolving demand. The manufacturing of 2030 will be profoundly transformed by an increasing adoption of technology and data. Factories will become highly automated and interconnected environments, where increasingly intelligent machines will work alongside humans 'augmenting' them, optimising production processes and reducing errors. Mass customisation will be a reality, with the ability to create tailor-made products quickly, meeting the individual demands of consumers and customers. The path to this transformation will not be without difficulties. Digitalisation, and more generally the strong acceleration in the development of technologies, requires specialised skills and agile organisations for understanding and implementation. To date, the skills gap remains the most significant obstacle. The increasing interconnection of machines and supply chains will increase vulnerability to cyber attacks, requiring robust security systems. Finally, the sustainability imperative, although to be interpreted in terms of opportunities for companies, will initially entail high costs and management complexities. The manufacturing of the future, in the context of a V.U.C.A. world, will therefore see innovation, agility and risk management as the pillars of any business strategy, to drive growth while ensuring business continuity even in the face of rapid change. For major manufacturing challenges such as sustainable and digital industrial development, human-machine collaboration, and the constant evolution of skills, 'co-opetition' offers a competitive strategy that combines the advantages of cooperation and competition to bring positive sustainability results for both the manufacturers involved and society. It is no coincidence, therefore, that one of the indications of the Wmf 2024 Report for the future of industry is the creation of strategic partnerships aimed at the development of co-opetitive manufacturing ecosystems, and in Lombardy from this point of view we are already ready: in recent days the Mia Lombardia, a new ecosystem at the service of companies to build innovation, was presented. Facing these challenges will require increasing collaboration and continuous confrontation, if we want industry to be a fundamental asset for creating development and well-being in the future as well.President World Manufacturing Forum