IEEE Europe recently participated in the NextGen Manufacturing Summit Africa 2025, held at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) in Benguerir, Morocco — an inspiring event shaping the continent’s path toward a sustainable and digitally empowered industry.
The summit, which took place from 30 September to 1 October 2025, convened governments, industry leaders, innovators and researchers to shape the continent’s industrial future.
Clara Neppel, Senior Director, European Business Operations at IEEE, spoke on a panel discussion on Implementing Industry 4.0 for Sustainability. The session was moderated by Prof. Dr. Mbang Sama (Digital Transformation Alliance & AISMA), with fellow panellists Raimund Klein, Founder & CEO, INCIT, and Agnès Chanut, expert in circular economy and water management, UNIDO.
The session explored how Industry 4.0 technologies can drive efficiency while delivering sustainability — reducing emissions, optimizing energy use, and enabling circular economy models.
For Africa, this represents an extraordinary opportunity to build competitive, green, and future‑ready industries from the start.
In parallel, the summit hosted the inaugural board meeting of the Alliance for Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing in Africa (AISMA), co-chaired by Ciyong Zou (Deputy to the Director-General, UNIDO), Rafik Feki (UNIDO Representative to Senegal & AISMA Founding Expert) and H.E. Aadil Ameer (Minister of Industry and SMEs, Mauritius). The gathering underscored the importance of cross-sector collaboration in shaping Africa’s industrial trajectory.
The Summit, which was organized by UM6P Technix, UNIDO and Deutsche Messe AG (Hannover Messe), highlighted the role of Africa in buillding the future for an industry united in creating a manufacturing ecosystem that is resilient, inclusive and digitally empowered.
More information: https://nextgenmanufacturingafrica.com/