Minister and Special Advisor to the Ethiopian Prime Minister to speak at the 2016 Prime Source Forum

Hong Kong - Minister Arkebe Oqubay will be a keynote speaker at the Prime Source Forum (PSF) which takes place in Hong Kong on 14-15 March. Now it its 11th year, PSF is a leading global event that brings together executives and senior stakeholders from the apparel and footwear supply chain.

Dr. Arkebe Oqubay (PhD) is a Minister and Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia. He 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, and the Industrial Parks Development Corporation. 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’ (Oxford University Press 2015) which focuses on Africa’s economic transformation, industrialisation and policymaking.

According to Prime Source Forum spokesperson, Josephine Ching, ‘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.'

In a recent McKinsey report, Chief Purchasing Officers (CPOs), representing US$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 significant players, Ethiopia appeared on the list of countries that CPOs expect will play a bigger role in their apparel manufacturing.

Sustainability and Technological innovation key issues for the apparel sector

Fellow keynote speaker Mr. 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, Mr. Zeiske served as Vice President International Affairs Asia Pacific of METRO GROUP, responsible for Public Policy, Sustainability and Corporate Communications for the company’s operations in Asia.

Mr. 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.

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, New Balance, Primark, PVH, SAC, Sears, TAL, Target, Texhong, TexRay, Top Form, the United Nations, VF Corp., Weave and ZDHC will also be participating in PSF2016.

Click here for the full programme and speaker list.