High level players from the corporate world and academia gathered on April 21 to discuss how Hong Kong and the mainland can leverage new technology, innovation and entrepreneurship to optimise gains from an increasingly interconnected world. One of the panels looked at smart manufacturing and the opportunities it provides. Read on for excerpts of presentations by Chairman of Guangzhou Shiyuan Electronic Corporation, Huang Zhengcong; General Manager of Midea Group’s Smart Manufacturing Cloud Division, Neko Chen; VP of Business at Horizen Robotics, Zhang Yongqian; and Partner at Northern Light Venture Capital, Huang He.

Huang Zhengcong,
Chairman, Guangzhou Shiyuan Electronic Corporation

When employees of LCD screen maker Guangzhou Shiyuan Electronic Corporation ran out of space to write down their ideas during a brainstorming session on the future of the company, the idea for a new product was born – the interactive LCD screen. But their idea was way ahead of its time: internet speeds weren’t fast enough and the conferences market that they were targeting was used to much smaller screens. As they waited for technology – and their potential clients – to catch up with them, the agile company switched to a field that could immediately use a scaled down version of their product – education. It was enough to keep them from folding. Read more the article Waiting for technology to catch up.

Neko Chen,
General Manager, Smart Manufacturing Cloud Division, Midea Group

Originally launched to identify projects that could help the Midea Group boost efficiency and lower costs, the company’s Smart Manufacturing Cloud Division has now invested billions in projects that could revolutionise the entire smart manufacturing landscape. Read more in the article Ready to transform smart manufacturing

Zhang Yongqian,
VP of Business, Horizen Robotics

Big data doesn’t necessarily mean intelligent data, so now an AI company is stepping in to make using the cloud even smarter. Read more in the article Making the cloud smarter. 

Huang He,
Partner, Northern Light Venture Capital

What are the investment opportunities available in the sphere of smart manufacturing? Should you be investing in AI? How have falling wage prices and work habits of the post-90s generation impacted robotics? Answers from a leading executive at a VC firm that handles about RMB10 billion in assets. Read more in the article Should I invest in AI?

Click the links below for more details as they become available on CEIBS Europe Forums in:
London – July 6
Paris – July 11
Munich – September 13
Warsaw – September 15
Zurich – October 18.