Richard Stone, managing director of Midlands PR agency Stone Junction, is speaking at the fourth annual Global Business Directions conference, held on February 1, 2018, at Staffordshire University. Over 100 students will hear thought provoking talks from six business leaders, covering the controversies and dilemmas of the current business climate.
This conference comes at a fundamental time for business strategy, with Stone's speech covering the most important movement in manufacturing; Industry 4.0. This is the name given to the fourth industrial revolution, which describes the process of automating and digitalising processes, to improve efficiency and extend capability.
"This audience will certainly see and feel the effects of Industry 4.0 in their career,"
said Stone.
"One key discussion point will be how education could change to ensure we have a skilled workforce carrying out an effective digitalisation strategy. With many countries now trying to 'own' Industry 4.0, it's vital that the UK and the rest of Europe get this training right. "Similarly, with this increased interconnectivity will come concerns over data protection. There will be the opportunity to discuss the potential privacy issues that this brings, and how organisations around the world are taking steps to solve this problem. Data ownership now has more responsibility than ever before, and not complying with best practice could have severe consequences for businesses."
Other speakers at the Global Business Directions conference include Wendy Dean, managing director of Strategi Solutions who will discuss the importance of an open mind and what this means for business success, and Howard Williams of Parker Software who will talk about business automation. Chris Perkins, head of World of Wedgwood, will bring some local insight to the students, as he explains the resurrection of the company.
The conference will take place in Staffordshire University Business School’s Ashley Building. To apply for a ticket and register your attendance, visit the Eventbrite page. For more information on Stone Junction and its Industry 4.0 communications, visit stonejunction.co.uk or call +44 (0) 1785 225416.