07/14/2024
EUROGUSS Executive Circle
Report

Top of the Agenda: Less Past, More Future

The initiators of NürnbergMesse consider the second EUROGUSS Executive Circle, held on July 2 and 3, 2024, near Frankfurt, a great success. Under the motto “Actively Shaping the Future,” around 60 C-level decision-makers from the European die casting industry gathered with a common goal: to future-proof the industry. The event provided ample space for intense professional and personal exchanges. The focus was on five action areas developed together during the first Executive Circle.

Oliver Teich, Chief Procurement Officer at GF Casting Solutions, presents the results of his working group at the EUROGUSS Executive Circle. — Oliver Teich, Chief Procrurement Officer at GF Casting Solutions, presents the results of his working group at the EUROGUSS Executive Circle.

The first evening was all about networking. Despite the rainy weather in the Taunus region, participants came together in a relaxed atmosphere to make new contacts and strengthen existing ones. Natural contact points and conversation topics were provided by the live broadcast of the 2024 European Championship and exciting duels on the bowling alley. The next morning, the Executive Circle began even before the official program with a networking run, which was once again eagerly embraced by the participants.

The first evening of the EUROGUSS Executive Circle was all about networking in a relaxed atmosphere.

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Markus Hengstschläger, Head of the Institute of Medical Genetics at the Medical University of Vienna, spoke about the need to prepare for foreseeable and unforeseeable events. — In the keynote speech, Markus Hengstschläger, Head of the Institute of Medical Genetics at the Medical University of Vienna, spoke about the need to prepare for foreseeable and unforseeable events.

People Have a Talent for Solutions

The keynote by Markus Hengstschläger, Head of the Center and Institute of Medical Genetics at Medical University of Vienna, inspired the attendees. Hengstschläger spoke about the necessity of preparing for both predictable and unpredictable events. He emphasized that every person possesses a unique talent for problem-solving that needs to be trained and utilized. “We often block our problem-solving abilities,” said Hengstschläger, “but through serendipitous discoveries and collaboration with people outside our usual network, we can find innovative solutions.”

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This is what the Executive Circle aims to encourage, says Christopher Boss, Executive Director of EUROGUSS. “Expand your network and discuss not just the current situation, but also how we can bring more speed to the industry in the future.” Industry expert Johannes Messer of Johannes Messer Consulting GmbH adds, “Experts agree that the demand for die casting will grow. We can only tap into this potential if we consolidate our know-how and value chain in Europe.”

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How Does the Die Casting Industry Move from the Present to the Ideal?

The subsequent workshops, led by notable company representatives known as Table Captains, aimed to develop concrete strategies and measures for the future of the European die casting industry. “The more complex the problem, the more complex the solution,” says Raphael Shklarek, Methods & Analytics Lead at the Zukunftsinstitut. “At the last Executive Circle, we developed future scenarios for the industry. This time, it’s about how we can achieve the ideal as effectively as possible.”

To this end, the decision-makers were divided into five action areas. They analyzed the current state of the industry and developed measures to improve it. Topics such as networking, industry marketing, and employer branding were focal points.

In the working groups, the decision-makers analysed the current state of the industry and developed measures to improve it.

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The industry marketing working group defined clear statements for various target groups. — The industry marketing working group defined clear statements for various target groups such as OEMs, young talent and politicians and worked out how the die casting industry can make itself heard in the long term.

The aim is to refresh the industry’s image, increase its reach, and improve communication and understanding along the entire value chain. The working group on industry marketing defined clear messages for various target groups such as OEMs, young talent, and policymakers, and developed strategies for ensuring that the die casting industry’s voice is sustainably heard by these audiences.

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Responsibility and Decision-Making Shape the Future

“Two things are very important: first, an open exchange so that people know what’s happening in different areas,” says Shklarek. “And second, these topics need to be interconnected. They cannot be viewed in isolation.” The presentation of results and the discussion in the plenary reflected this.

“You can tell that everyone is genuinely committed to the idea of networking,” says Ralf Versmold, CEO of Godfrey & Wing. “But you can also see that some are still a bit reserved. This makes it difficult to compete with the Asian or American markets.” Nevertheless, Versmold believes in the cause: “It’s important that the key players also take the next steps.”

The results of the five working groups are presented and discussed in the plenary session.

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“We Must Develop as an Industry”

Discussions made it clear: the European die casting industry cannot move forward with old methods and beliefs. “We must continue to develop as an industry, and the customer needs to see the benefit,” says Oliver Teich, Chief Procurement Officer at GF Casting Solutions.

The European die casting industry is ready to work together towards a successful future. Now it’s up to the members of the Executive Circle to drive the topics forward and implement the strategies developed. But one thing is certain: the future of the die casting industry will be actively and collaboratively shaped.

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Participants in the Executive Circle in July 2024 have a talk.

SAVE THE DATE: Next EUROGUSS Executive Circle in July 2025

The European Die Casting Network is committed to promoting die casting as a consistent and long-term technological, innovative, economic, and sustainable solution for the automotive and industrial lightweight sectors.

The Executive Circle is designed for C-level executives and decision-makers. Are you one of them? Mark your calendar now: the third EUROGUSS Executive Circle will take place on July 1-2, 2025.

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