Driving innovation, productivity & competitiveness in BC manufacturing industries

A thought leadership and call-to-action opportunity for industry

Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at 8:30 AM PT
Simon Fraser University - Surrey - Room SRYC 2600

250-13450 102nd Avenue, Surrey, BC, V3T 0A3

Join us for this free event of the Smart Manufacturing Summit, where industry pioneers, researchers, and supply chain leaders converge.

Explore cutting-edge digitalization trends, share insights, and drive real-world innovation. Connect, collaborate, and advance British Columbia’s competitive edge in smart manufacturing.

Be part of the transformation!

  • ✅ Discover Cutting-Edge Smart Manufacturing Technologies – Gain insights into the latest innovations that industry leaders are using to boost productivity, efficiency, and competitiveness.
  • 💡 Engage in a High-Impact Panel Discussion – Join top experts from industry and academia as they tackle real-world challenges, explore emerging trends, and discuss how SFU and businesses can collaborate for greater success.
  • 🚀Unlock Innovation & Competitive Advantage – Learn how SFU’s School of Mechatronic Systems Engineering and Siemens Digital Industries Software are driving innovation, supporting local businesses, and strengthening BC’s manufacturing economy.

Lunch will be served.

A logo for Simon Fraser University featuring a stylized letter 'S' in blue and white.

Arriving & Registration: 8:30 AM
Event Closing: 2 PM

Agenda:

  • Welcome

    • Mayor Brenda Locke, City Of Surrey
    • Eugene Fiume, Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences SFU
  • Demystifying Digital Transformation and Digital Twins.

    • Guy Dulude - VP Portfolio Development, Siemens
  • Smart Manufacturing Principles

    • Graham Bartlett; Flavio Arssani, Siemens
  • SFU’ School of Mechatronic Systems Engineering

    • Farshid Najafi – Assistant Professor SFU
  • Lab visits (SFU)
  • Adopting digital tools to improve productivity

    • Stephen Rose – Application Engineer, Designfusion
  • Accenture: Discussion on business strategies and digital transformation

    • Juan Ossa, Solution & Automation Consultant, Accenture
  • Lunch
  • Government incentives to support digital adoption to improve productivity

    • Dustin Yerdon – Business Relationship Specialist, City Of Surrey
    • Aakash Rao, Project Development, NGEN
    • TBD, Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME)
  • Panel Discussion and Q&A – Moderator Farshid Najafi

    • Ravi Beach, COO, Valley Bath and Kitchen
    • TBD, Longboard Architectural Products Inc
    • Collin Sawatzky, Digital Transformation, Designfusion
    • Mehdi Gohardehi, Lean Facilitator, Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME)
  • Closing Remarks