AEM Annual event tackles uncertainty & opportunity in current global market conditions
CECE Secretary General Viaggi and CECE Executive Cuartero attended the Annual Conference hosted in Florida by AEM, the US trade association of equipment manufacturers. Collaborating with our American “sister” organisation is an important part of CECE’s strategy, also in the framework of our Exhibitions Partnership programme.
Copyright AEM
Addressing similar issues to the CECE Summit, high-level speakers, academics, innovators and industry leaders came together to shed some light into upcoming challenges and uncertainties in otherwise positive market conditions.
On the other side of the Atlantic, the industry’s overall conditions are positive, but the disruptions brought by the digital transformation are largely unknown at the moment and their potential is not yet reaped by the manufacturing industry.
From a regulatory point of view, technology speakers highlighted the potential impact of GDPR and ePrivacy rules on the US data protection legislation. This is particularly interesting for US companies, because – as in many other areas before – EU legislation is expected to become the Golden Rule globally.
Another major challenge – also similar on both sides of the Atlantic – is the lack of skills needed for the upcoming generational change in manufacturing. During a panel involving high-school students, it was mentioned that attracting the Millennial generation requires a new approach. Companies need to be able to nurture flexibility and adaptability, since research shows that today’s students may have between 18 and 23 employers in their professional life and some of the jobs they will do are not yet in existence today.
More news