The manufacturing industry in the UAE is expected to become one of the highest contributors to the country’s economy with a robust infrastructure, strategic location and significant subsidies for manufacturers. With the support of Dubai Exports as a government partner, Expotrade is organising the Future Manufacturing and Trade Summit, earlier called the GCC Manufacturing Excellence and Technology Summit, on 6th and 7th November, 2017, at Jumeirah Emirates Tower in Dubai. This will enable the event to remain a dedicated gathering within the Middle East region to discuss future trends in manufacturing excellence and key strategies to boost trade and economic development. Moreover, the summit is in line with the Dubai Industrial Strategy to transform the emirate into a global platform for knowledge-based, sustainable and innovation-focused businesses. Globally, the manufacturing sector has undergone a transformation. It has embraced the Internet of Things, IoT, and big data technologies with Industrial 4.0 or Industrial IoT and smart manufacturing becoming the buzzwords. It is estimated that this sector has become one of the leading industries in the region to invest in the IoT technology. The summit will witness over 40 industry experts from across the world deliver keynote sessions, participate in panel discussions and present case studies on the most pressing topics in the manufacturing domain. This will include the role of manufacturing in promoting sustainable economic growth, digital transformation throughout the manufacturing cycle, improving environmental performance with green manufacturing, and maximising the power of big data for smart manufacturing, amongst many other topics. Olivier Leteurtre, Managing Director Eurowest of Dassault Systemes, said, "Dassault Systemes is delighted to be a gold sponsor of the Future Manufacturing and Trade Summit. This event is a great opportunity for us to highlight the value of our 3DEXPERIENCE platform in front of an exclusive audience of international decision makers and influencers. Our platform can definitely help the GCC companies succeed within the ambitious UAE Vision 2021 and Dubai Industrial Strategy Plan 2030." Brad Hariharan, Regional Director of Expotrade Middle East, said, "The UAE has laid immense emphasis on its manufacturing sector that plays a pivotal role in contributing to the economic growth of this country. In this context, the Future Manufacturing and Trade Summit, which will take shape under the theme ‘Delivering Excellence and Innovation in Manufacturing and Trade,’ becomes especially relevant. "We are honoured to have the support of Dubai Exports as a government partner for this event. The UAE’s rapid industrial growth is underpinned by its export sector. Our summit was a runaway success in its first edition, attracting over 400 delegates from within the GCC region. The upcoming edition of the summit will be held on an even larger scale," he added.