Harnessing the potential of Industry 4.0 tech to improve e-commerce

Geneva - UNIDO, as an “E-trade for all” partner, organized its own thematic session during UNCTAD’s 2019 E-commerce Week Conference. Under the leadership of BCI Division and with the support of UNIDO’s Geneva Office a session on “Industry 4.0 and E-commerce” was organized on 1st April 2019. The session aimed to explore the potential transformative economic and social changes arising from this new industrial revolution and the synergies it has with e-commerce.

The scene for the session was setup by providing the audience with an overview on Industry 4.0, its potential linkages to e-commerce as well as UNIDO’s role in these digital paradigms. The discussion moved onto how Industry 4.0 and E-commerce could promote ISID on the African continent as well as facilitate the seizure of opportunities arising from the African Continental Free Trade Area. This was followed by a case study on Brazil’s electronic food procurement platform which demonstrated the practical union between AI and an e-commerce. The challenges faced by consumers and potential roles they could play in the digital era were also explored. The session concluded by highlighting success stories on how Industry 4.0 technologies were being applied in e-commerce platforms (such as EPEC) in China.

The hosting of this session by UNIDO was important as it showcased to the global e-commerce community the organization’s contribution to e-commerce development in its Member States. The session was well received and moving forward, UNIDO will explore this topic further future E-commerce Week’s and other global forums.

Click here to read the related press release.

For more information: Mr. Raymond Tavares (R. Tavares [at] unido.org)