TN and WEF mull setting up Centre for Advanced Manufacturing to boost industries

Tamil Nadu is planning to establish a Centre for Advanced Manufacturing in the city, aimed at supporting companies in innovation, sustainability, research and development endeavors, the government said on Tuesday.

Over 20 industry leaders gathered in Chennai on Tuesday to discuss setting up such a Centre in association with the World Economic Forum.

Minister for Industries T R B Rajaa expressed the state government's strong commitment to establishing such a facility in Chennai and emphasized Tamil Nadu's pioneering role in leading India's economic growth and positioning itself as a forerunner in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.


"Leapfrogging into the future of manufacturing using the principles of Industry 4.0 is crucial to achieving Chief Minister M K Stalin's target of a USD 1 trillion economy in Tamil Nadu," he said in an official release.

"We have already started the digital transformation process, and Tamil Nadu becoming the capital of advanced manufacturing will further bolster our efforts," he noted.

During the deliberation, three key focus areas that were discussed include technology adoption and innovation, industry-academia engagement, and sustainable production.

Rajaa outlined the objective of the proposed centre, which is to support high-end innovation, promote new business models and develop digital transformation for manufacturing companies.

It also includes promoting industry-academia collaboration to drive innovation and facilitating system-wide collaborations to support supply chain decarbonization.

To further enhance the capabilities of Tamil Nadu and to attract critical industries like semiconductor, green hydrogen, and solar PV module manufacturers, the government is actively considering setting up knowledge parks in major cities in partnership with international research institutes.

The State's partnership with the World Economic Forum and other stakeholders is crucial in elevating Tamil Nadu to higher value-added segments of the manufacturing value chain, the release added.