A MAJOR conference will focus on the skills required to drive economic growth in the 21st century.
Scotland’s Business Minister Jamie Hepburn will deliver the keynote address at Edinburgh Napier University’s Business School next week.
Other expert speakers will focus on key issues facing businesses, like the potential of Blockchain and cyber currencies, changing expectations of business transparency, the evolving workforce of the future and how management education programmes need to respond.
The event, titled The Next Generation of Business: The management skill set required for Industry 4.0, will aim to help firms stay ahead of the competition across these issues.
Gail Boag, Dean of the Business School, said: “Everything we do as a Business School is focused on developing the right blend of knowledge and skills to create impact in the communities in which we work and live, to drive productivity and support economic growth.
“In order to do that, and to do that effectively, we need to work with industry, and businesses and governments.
“As the world of business evolves and the pace accelerates, Edinburgh Napier University is rising to the challenge and providing its students with every opportunity to be the leaders of the future.”
Hepburn will speak about the new framework for economic development and what it means for business in the decade ahead.
Later, the afternoon conference for business managers and researchers will hear from fintech leader professor Christine Bamford, CEO of Women’s Coin, on why and how Blockchain will power business.
There will also be speeches from PwC’s Bruce Hedley, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland’s Catherine Burnet, and many more. Professor Brian Howieson will also look at the changing skillset demanded of managers by industry before hosting a question and answer session on the same topic. Business leaders including Kat Brogan of Mercat Tours, Paul Atkinson of Par Equity, and Robert Crawford, a past CEO of Scottish Enterprise, will take part.
The event takes place on October 23. To find out more or register visit bit.ly/ENUNextGen
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