The European machine tool industry was represented by Galdabini, President of CECIMO and Managing Director of Galdabini SPA in the European Industry Day. As debater in the high-level panel on SME access to technologies, Galdabini highlighted that cross-border collaboration between machine tool builders and technology centres is essential, but severe bottlenecks, hampering the competitiveness of industry, exist.
“If European machine tool builders want to keep up with market trends, they need to be increasingly agile, develop new solutions that match the changing needs of machine tool users, and focus on incremental innovation, offering continuously improved goods and services to customers. Consequently, technology centres spread across Europe can join forces with manufacturing SMEs and help them in responding to these evolving demands. At strategic level, MT builders need more policy instruments that foster the link between research and business, and they also call for incentives, which underpin cross-border collaboration in Europe and support the internationalization of manufacturing SMEs” added Galdabini.
CECIMO and 124 European manufacturing associations recently launched a Joint- Declaration that calls the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Competitiveness Council to define and implement an ambitious and coordinated European industrial strategy. “CECIMO finds it very positive that the European Commission organized the first European Industry Day. Nevertheless, to safeguard the world leadership of European manufacturers and jobs in Europe, the Commission needs to follow up what stakeholders have been voicing and to come up with a comprehensive action plan focusing on the strengths of our businesses” stated Mr Filip Geerts, CECIMO Director General.
The Joint-Declaration for an ambitious EU industrial strategy highlights that, while competitors from across the world put industry at the very top of their political agendas, develop and implement well-thought strategies, the EU falls behind its industrial policy targets. “There has been no better time to reaffirm Europe’s commitment to manufacturing, innovation and jobs. European associations representing 125 manufacturing sectors are ready to offer their cooperation to the European Institutions” points out Geerts.
