Modern Materials Handling - November 2012

show previewmanufacturing and distribution operations,as well as share insights into howthese developments will propel futureeconomic growth.“We’ve seen tremendous progressin robotics and automation in materialshandling over the last few years,”explained Christensen. “There hasbeen a lot of development in automationthat does the handling tasksthat don’t require a lot of intelligenceand are physically challenging.Additionally, the use of robotic technologydecreases the amount of spacethat you need—and real estate is gettingincreasingly expensive.”On Tuesday, Steve Forbes, chairmanand editor-in-chief of ForbesMedia, will deliver the second keynotepresentation. Forbes will make recommendationsfor “Navigating the NewPolitical Climate for Business Growthand Success.”With the presidential inaugurationhaving just taken place, one-time presidentialcandidate Forbes will assess theimpact of the elected president andhis administration on the future of theeconomy and business growth. Havingserved two administrations, Forbes’keen ability to provide economic andpolitical insights on the most debatedissues of the day is trusted by businessleaders here and abroad.On Wednesday, the final keynotepresentation will feature a discussionof “The Future of Material Handling,Logistics and Supply Chain.” Settingthe stage for the discussion will beremarks from futurist Edie Weiner,president of consulting group Weiner,Edrich, Brown.“I will set the backdrop for whichthe future of materials handling, logisticsand supply chain will unfold,”explained Weiner. “I’ll talk about whyour thinking is stuck in yesterday, andstory continues on page 3228 N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 2 / Modern Materials Handling mmh.com