World Manufacturing Forum 2012

World Manufacturing Forum

16-17 October 2012

Smart Policies for Global Manufacturing Innovation

The second World Manufacturing Forum, whose title was “Smart Policies for Global Manufacturing Innovation“, was held on 16-17 October 2012 in Stuttgart, Germany. The major sponsors of the event were IMS and the European Commission, with the organizational support of Politecnico Milano and Fraunhofer IPA.​

Out of 430 registrants, approximately 240 self-identified at the Director level or higher attended, other attendees included lower level industry representatives, researchers, and government officers.

The program addressed global business concerns, the management of strategic resources and outlined how governments can support global manufacturing innovation by increasing the sustainability of business operations and by lowering the risk of conflicts through effective dialogue and international cooperation.

Among the inviting speakers sharing their views at the WMF 2012, invitees had the pleasure of hearing Carlos Costa, Governor of the Portuguese Central Bank and former Director of the European Investment Bank, Hans-Jörg Bullinger, President of Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (Germany), and Reiner Roghmann, Director of Operations Dow Central (Germany). Their speeches focused on the financial support to industry growth, the impact of urbanization trends in manufacturing and the policies for the sustainable use of resources. The event was opened by a welcome video by Mr. José Manuel Durão Barroso, President of the European Commission.

The WMF 2012 two-day meeting and discussion was held at the Kongresszentrum Liederhalle in Stuttgart, Germany.

The building complex consists of a concert hall with three halls and a congress building with two further halls and 14 conference and meeting rooms.
It is is considered one of the most important German cultural buildings of the post-war period