Artificial intelligence is here and being rapidly commercialized, with new applications being created not just for manufacturing but also for energy, healthcare, and oil and gas. This will change how we all do business.

In the developed world, we are surrounded by electronics - from the computers on our desks to the smart phones in our pockets to the thermostats in our homes to our data in the virtual cloud.

Like Siemens, the UAE is big on innovation. It has become famous as a think tank for thought leadership in areas of interest to the world - and to Siemens.

'Make in India' is great, but 'Make It Happen in India' is even greater. Make It Happen in India is more than manufacturing. It's about training, about education, about societal development and automation and engineering.

An increased push for energy efficiency, renewable energy technology, electric mobility - along with the growing digitalization movement and a universal carbon pricing structure - would speed up the carbon-free future and the rise of a global middle class we desperately need. We can and must all do our part.

Often, sustainability is discussed only in the context of energy. Energy sustainability is essential - but the word has a much broader meaning. It means long-term thinking about how we manage our businesses, invest in social spending, and plan for the future. This requires vision and leadership, and it requires citizen engagement.

We have to prove that digital manufacturing is inclusive. Then, the true narrative will emerge: Welcome, robots. You'll help us. But humans are still our future.

Ultimately, it is the convergence of artificial and human intelligence that will enable manufacturers to achieve a new era of speed, flexibility, efficiency, and connectivity in the 21st century.

Machines have the ability to assemble things faster than any human ever could, but humans possess the analytics, domain expertise, and valuable knowledge required to solve problems and optimize factory floor production.

Sustainability is not just about adopting the latest energy-efficient technologies or turning to renewable sources of power. Sustainability is the responsibility of every individual every day. It is about changing our behaviour and mindset to reduce power and water consumption, thereby helping to control emissions and pollution levels.

While the transition from a combustion-powered society to electrification is already underway due to market forces alone, this transition will take generations without support. But we have every incentive - environmental, economic, and yes, moral - to speed the evolution.