The Symposium, co-hosted by Zhejiang University and University of Cambridge, organized by School of Management and “Studies on Innovative Management and Sustained Competitiveness”, a National Philosophy and Social Science Innovative Base of Zhejiang University, was held in Zijingang Campus of Zhejiang University on September 7th. The two-day Symposium, attracting top researchers and specialists in manufacturing, aimed to explore the prospects of manufacturing.

Professor Wu Xiaobo, President of School of Management of Zhejiang University, chaired the opening ceremony and Sir Mike Gregory from University of Cambridge was present at and addressed the Symposium. Highlighting the importance of GMC Symposium, he maintained manufacturing would not only change the way of life of the world and the people, but exert great influence on economic development. Then, he elaborated on the relationship between innovation and geographic location from the studies on micro-levels, innovations in businesses and regional industrial competitive edges. He analyzed global industrial structure transformation and the opportunities and challenges faced by innovation-driven “Chinese Made” mode.

The Symposium, centered on “High-value Manufacturing in Global Perspectives”, discussed how businesses can achieve better performance by restructuring corporate value chain and value network while creating value against the current meager profit and big risk of global manufacturing from the themes of “Smart manufacturing”, “manufacturing business services” and “business mode innovation”. Present at the Symposium were renowned experts and scholars from University of Cambridge, Northwest University, University of Birmingham, Aichi University of Japan, Kyung Hee University of South Korea, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Tsinghua University, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Zhejiang University.

An Introduction to GMC

GMC Symposium, attracting the researchers from relevant fields in different countries and areas to explore channels, methods and solutions to manufacturing transformation and upgrading in new situations, is of great significance to comprehensive manufacturing management upgrading. GMC Symposium, starting to be held from 2005 every other year in Zhejiang University and University of Cambridge in turn, is a top gathering in manufacturing and management.