Supply Chain 4.0 to Come Under Spotlight at 11th GPCA Supply Chain Conference

Held from 16-17 April 2019 at the InterContinental Festival City Hotel, Dubai, UAE, the 11^thedition of the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) Supply Chain Conference will put the spotlight on Supply Chain 4.0 and the opportunities to deliver a step change in the chemical industry’s performance.

The event will address the theme ‘Getting Ready for the Future: Supply Chain 4.0’ and discuss how technological breakthroughs such as Big Data, simulation software, 3D printing, Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things, collectively known as Supply Chain 4.0, are revolutionizing supply chains making them more agile, cost efficient and resilient.

The conference will begin on 16 April, with Ahmed Al-Shamsi, SVP, Regional MEAE, Borouge, and Chairman, GPCA Supply Chain Committee, delivering the opening address, and Fayez Al Malki, VP, Global Supply Chain, SABIC, and Abdulla Bin Damithan, Chief Commercial Officer, DP World UAE Region, addressing the audience in two must-attend keynote presentations. 

The keynote session on day two, 17 April, will be delivered by Abdulaziz Mohammed Almohawes, Head, Authorized Economic Operator, Saudi Customs, with other confirmed speakers including Eng. Ali A. Al-Omeir, Business Development Director, MODON, and Fuad Mohammed Mosa, VP, Local Content and Business Development, SABIC. 

As part of the engaging conference program, case studies, masterclasses and Q&A sessions, industry thought leaders, government officials, supply chain executives, academia and technology experts will provide insight into key industry topics such as ‘Enhancing Procurement 4.0’, ‘Improved productivity through a connected supply chain’, ‘Meeting the needs for a new supply chain in the GCC’ and many more.

Confirmed speakers include Ali Foolathi, VP, In Country Value (ICV), ADNOC; Yaser Al Shahrani, Logistics Services Senior Manager, Sadara, as well as logistics and technology industry leaders – Omar Saleh, Head, Manufacturing and Resources, Microsoft MEA; Richard Morgan, Regional MD, West Central Asia, Maersk; Mehtab Gilani, Associate Partner, Chemical and Petroleum, IBM Global Business Services; Björn Baur, Head of Consulting, Siemens, and others.

A workshop on day zero will focus on ‘Sustainability in Supply Chains’ comprising a series of thought-provoking sessions that will explore the opportunities for enabling a low carbon future for GCC supply chains, realizing the economic benefits of sustainable supply chains and a case study on how to achieve enhanced return on investments from green developments.

Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, Secretary General, GPCA, commented, “The chemical industry represents one of the largest interacting industries globally, serving USD 35 trillion of end-user markets and delivering materials to more than 14 sectors worldwide. The chemical supply chain is one of the most complex globally that’s increasingly being disrupted by innovative technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, advanced analytics, blockchain, Big Data and more. This is giving rise to a new generation of supply chains known as Supply Chain 4.0 that is more collaborative, optimized, faster and efficient.”

He added, “The 11^thGPCA Supply Chain Conference will shed light on the tremendous value that ‘Supply Chain 4.0’ can create by stimulating the exchange of knowledge and thought-provoking discussions with top international and regional industry experts, logistics service providers, leading technology players, port authorities and operators. It will further discuss the challenges of implementing a successful supply chain digitalization strategy and how the traditional linear supply chain is evolving into an integrated value chain underpinned by greater collaboration to achieve efficiencies and lower costs.”

On the sidelines of the 11^thGPCA Supply Chain Conference, GPCA will host the 3^rdedition of its Supply Chain Excellence Awards on the evening of 16 April 2019 when winners will be announced at a special award ceremony across the following categories: Innovation, Sustainability, Excellence in Gulf SQAS, and a dedicated student award, Ibtikar – Rising Star in Supply Chain.

To find out more about the conference visit www.gpcasupplychain.com.