After reviewing the conference topics, the author discusses the technical potential of automation in the wider aspects of technical innovation. The next topic is concerned with automation and the world economy in general, and that in developed countries in particular. Some comments are then made about the manufacturing prospects in the U.K. and their relationships with education and training in the relevant fields. Finally, the inauguration of the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Chair at the University of Salford is described in the context of industry-education problems.