Ethiopian minister keynote speaker at PSF

04 Feb '16

3 min read

Dr. Arkebe Oqubay, a minister and special advisor to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia will be a keynote speaker at the Prime Source Forum (PSF) which takes place in Hong Kong from March 14-15, 2016.

According to a press release from the organisers, Yeh Shen Ltd, in to its 11th year, PSF is a leading global event that brings together executives and senior stakeholders from the apparel and footwear supply chain.

Arkebe Oqubay previously served as the mayor of Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa and as state minister of works and urban development.

Dr. Oqubay serves as chairman and vice chair of the boards of directors of many leading public organisations, such as the Ethiopian Railway Corporation, Ethiopian Airlines, etc.

He also serves as member of Ethiopian Investment Board (EIB) and National Export Coordinating Committee (NECC).

Dr. Arkebe Oqubay authored 'Made in Africa: Industrial Policy in Ethiopia' which focuses on Africa's economic transformation, industrialisation and policymaking.

PSF spokesperson Josephine Ching said, “We are delighted to have someone of minister Oqubay's calibre joining Prime Source Forum this year.”

“Ethiopia is fast emerging as global manufacturing hub and delegates will benefit immensely from minister Oqubay's insight and perspective.”

Quoting a McKinsey report, Yeh Shen added that chief purchasing officers (CPOs) representing $70 billion in 2014 purchasing volume in the apparel sector, were surveyed regarding their sourcing strategy.

“While sourcing powerhouses such Bangladesh and China will remain main players, Ethiopia appeared on the list of countries that CPOs expect will play a bigger role in their apparel manufacturing,” the report observed.

Fellow keynote speaker Tino Zeiske, senior vice president for corporate responsibility at Metro Group, will share his perspective on the sustainable development in the fashion industry following the G7 Summit and COP21.

Prior to his current role, Tino Zeiske served as vice president international affairs Asia Pacific of Metro Group and was responsible for Public Policy, Sustainability and Corporate Communications.

K C Tan of Dassault Systemes will lead a discussion on the adoption of 3D and Virtual Reality technology in the apparel sector.

“A diverse group of brands and supply chain experts will delve into best practice for initiating and accelerating the application of this technology in the apparel supply chain,” the organiser stated.

Leading organisations such as Adidas, APLL, Clarks, Coats, Cotton Council, Cotton Inc., Crocs, Dassault Systemes, EastMax, Fung Retailing, GAFTI, H&M, InvestHK, Lectra, LF Sourcing, etc will also be participating in PSF 2016. (AR)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India