Manufacturing Leaders Announce New 'Critical Issues' Agenda

* Six critical issues identified for the global manufacturing industry in the year ahead

* Product innovation, transformative technologies, collaboration and customer-centric cultures drive competitive success

MOUNTAIN VIEW, California, July 31, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Frost & Sullivan's Manufacturing Leadership Council, the global business network for senior industrial executives, has established a new Critical Issues Agenda for manufacturing for 2014 to 2015.

The Council has focused the new agenda around six critical issues with strong emphasis on new product innovation and collaborative customer-centric cultures; key transformative technologies including Big Data and analytics, the Internet of Things and digital manufacturing; the need for new approaches to employee engagement to attract and develop the next generation of manufacturing leaders; harnessing the potential of public and private partnerships to drive innovation and growth; and the rising importance of sustainability and social responsibility practices to the industry's future.

"The Council's Critical Issues Agenda is a mirror reflection of the most important business and technology issues facing industry today," said David R. Brousell, Global Vice President and Editorial Director of the Manufacturing Leadership Council. "It also represents the Council's core mission of bringing together executives from all sectors of manufacturing in a common purpose to address these issues for their own companies, as well as for the industry at large."

The 2014/2015 Critical Issues Agenda includes:

• Factories of the Future
  Focus:
  • The Internet of Things on the plant floor
  • 3D Printing and emerging production technologies
  • Digital manufacturing
• The Innovative Enterprise
  Focus:
  • New product innovation, open collaboration and crowdsourcing
  • Customer-centric supply chain innovation
  • Business model innovation
• Manufacturing Advocacy
  Focus:
  • Public and private partnerships, especially between industry and education
  • Global manufacturing sector growth, outlook, and future prospects
• Next Generation Leadership and the Changing Workforce
  Focus:
  • Leadership best practices, effective collaborative decision-making
  • Employee engagement with diverse, multi-generational, multi-cultural and multinational workforces
  • Skills gap, education, apprenticeships and attracting tomorrow's workforce
• Sustainability
  Focus:
  • Financial and competitive benefits of sustainability leadership
  • Emphasis on social and corporate responsibility
• Transformative Technologies
  Focus:
  • Big Data and predictive analytics
  • Internet of Things / Industrial Internet / Industry 4.0
  • Cybersecurity

The council's annual Critical Issues Agenda is the result of a unique member-driven process that identifies the most urgent and important issues facing the global manufacturing industry in the year ahead. It is based on extensive consultation with more than 100 senior executive members of the Manufacturing Leadership Council and Board of Governors.

The new Critical Issues Agenda also establishes the Manufacturing Leadership Council's strategic plan for the year, directly influencing all major elements of the Council's product and services portfolio over the next twelve months.

For more details of the new Critical Issues Agenda, please visit: http://bit.ly/1tmjSxn.

For information about the Manufacturing Leadership Council visit: www.MLCouncil.com.

About the Manufacturing Leadership Council
The Manufacturing Leadership Council at Frost & Sullivan is the world's first member-driven, global business leadership network dedicated to senior executives in the manufacturing industry. The Manufacturing Leadership Council's mission is to help senior executives define and shape a better future for themselves, their organizations, and the industry at large. The Council offers an extensive portfolio of leadership networking, information and professional development products, programs, and services -- including the Manufacturing Leadership Community Website, an online global business network of almost 7,000 members around the world; the Manufacturing Leadership Council, an invitation-only executive organization of over 120 members; the annual Manufacturing Leadership Summit; the Manufacturing Leadership Awards, celebrating industry achievement; and the thought-leading Manufacturing Leadership Journal. For more information, please visit www.MLCouncil.com

About Frost & Sullivan
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