Dear Sir or Madam, The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) cordially invites you to attend the 2019 Forum on Globalization and Industrialization (FGI) on 19 November 2019 at the Vienna International Centre in Vienna, Austria. The event is the fourth edition in a series of annual forums jointly organized by UNIDO, Kiel Centre for Globalization and the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel). It brings together policymakers, representatives from international organizations, academia and business to discuss the opportunities and challenges for industrialization as a result of countries' greater participation in global trade and investment flows. This year's Forum is titled "The Future of GVCs: How the Fourth Industrial Revolution Is Changing Global Production Networks". For several years, global value chains (GVCs) provided participating countries with a perspective for economic growth and job creation. This potential is increasingly put into question by technological advancements at the frontier. The automation of increasingly complex tasks in smart factories may have adverse effects on some of the countries that benefited from the outsourcing of labour-intensive activities by multinational companies. However, new technologies can also present developing countries with opportunities for learning and leapfrogging. In four panel sessions, the event will bring together world-renowned policy experts, academics, as well as high-level practitioners and business representatives to assess the effects of new technologies on the geography of international production. Panellists will also discuss the potential of established and new innovative industrial policies to support countries in reaping the benefits of GVCs in a time of rapid technological progress. In a special session, the role of infrastructure for GVC integration will be explored in greater detail. Registration for the event is mandatory. For a link to registration and more information on the event, please visit the event page: https://www.unido.org/events/2019-forum-globalization-and-industrialization 2019 Forum on Globalization and Industrialization "The Future of GVCs: How the Fourth Industrial Revolution Is Changing Global Production Networks" Date: 19 November 2019, 9:30am - 16:30pm Venue: Vienna International Centre, C-Building, 7th floor, Conference Room C3 We look forward to welcome you at the 2019 FGI. Yours sincerely, Adnan Seric Research and Industrial Development Officer UNIDO