10/10/2023 EUROGUSS Family News

Executive Circle of the Casting Industry: Successful Initial Spark

Creating space for joint reflection on the future of the die-casting industry and for networking at the highest level. That was the declared aim of the Executive Circle, to which NürnbergMesse, as organiser of the EUROGUSS trade fair, invited top decision-makers from the entire value chain to Taunus on 4 and 5 October. Almost 60 leading minds from business and science accepted the invitation and passionately discussed ways to a better future. At the end of the event, something was palpable: A spirit of optimism.

"We have not experienced such a phase of stagnation in our industry for practically 50 years," Johannes Messer summed up the initial situation. Since the end of 2018, the industry has not recorded any growth. The cards are being reshuffled, also because additional players from China, India or Mexico are pushing into the market and technological progress continues, for example in structural components of automobiles. "We have to fight for our share. But in Europe we have the strongest network, we have to use that for the transformation," explained the proven industry expert and consultant.

Moderator Claudia Bechstein in conversation with Christopher Boss.

The Executive Circle was created in order to organise an exchange about a common vision for the future and possible cooperation between companies. Christopher Boss, Executive Director of EUROGUSS, had been thinking of such a format for a long time: "Trade fair companies are also in a phase of transformation. Digital tools are one thing. But especially in times of crisis, there is a need for even more personal exchange and partnerships. As a service provider for our customers in the casting industry, we wanted to offer the right platform for this," he explained at the start of the event.

Is Europe "exhausted"?

The next important contribution to the format, sovereignly led by business moderator Claudia Bechstein, was made by Harry Gatterer, Managing Director of the Zukunftsinstitut Wien/Frankfurt, which NürnbergMesse had commissioned to provide scientific support. In his keynote speech without the usual charts, Gatterer outlined important megatrends that are moving the world and prepared the ground for the subsequent discussions among the participants.

Keynote without any charts: Harry Gatterer[No text in field]

He opened up interesting developments for the audience, such as that of the "exhausted Europe", which is trying to maintain itself in the face of ever-growing complexity in the world through more and more regulation, but is losing vitality as a result, and of "friendshoring", where relationships between companies are more than those between suppliers and customers. The futurologist appealed to the audience to spend a day shifting from the intellectual mode, which primarily serves to maintain the status quo, to the emotional mode, which strengthens the imagination for what can be possible.

Raphael Shklarek, Methods & Analytics Lead of the Zukunftsinstitut and already significantly involved in the preparations for the summit since July, then went into the framework conditions from the economy, society, man and nature that are particularly relevant for the industry. He specified the task that the entrepreneurs should set themselves on this day: "Today we think together, try to recognise patterns and create a group picture." It is to form the framework for the future scenarios that Shklarek and his team will develop in the weeks following the event.

Expectations were met

Expectations of the new format were high, as statements by some participants showed: "Innovation arises at interfaces. That's why a lot is possible when product owners, technology providers and die-casters as users come together. That is the idea behind the Executive Circle, which I fully support. This format is a starting point from which to move forward," said Dr.-Ing. Alexander F. Marks, Chief Customer Officer of Oskar Frech GmbH + Co. KG.

It was not a matter of course to live up to this claim, but it succeeded in the hours that followed: In several thinkspaces, the participants discussed which influences are particularly relevant for their industry. With expertise and passion, they spoke in small groups of changing composition about possible ways and options for action. The well-deserved breaks were used intensively for networking, making and deepening contacts.

Inspiring the young generation

Various focal points clearly emerged in the discussions. These included the existing problems in recruiting suitable junior staff as well as the insufficient speed of change in many companies, which is in clear contrast to the "China speed" with which the often much larger competitors in the Far East seem to be developing. Last but not least, there was a call for more innovation in the industry. Instead of being just the "extended workbench of the OEMs", as one of the company bosses put it, the die-casting foundries should again be more involved in the development of components. Increased marketing efforts were also identified as an important field of action, which should lead to an improved perception in politics and society and inspire the young generation for a career in die casting.

At the end of the Executive Circle, all participants gathered for a presentation and discussion of the interim results achieved. Above all, there was a recognisable desire to return to the path of success through increased cooperation and synergies. Possible resistance on the way there was named, but not seen as insurmountable. "The spirit has grown. We now have to become active," declared one of the company leaders to great applause from the plenary.

Markus Handtmann, Co-CEO of the Handtmann Group of Companies, had a very similar assessment of the format: "The Executive Circle was an important and trend-setting event for our industry. The foundry industry in Europe is still in a state of upheaval and faces great challenges. It is all the more important that we build trust within the industry, deepen our cooperation and bundle our strengths. Only in cooperation with all participants in the value chain can we make the necessary investments and offer our customers the solutions they need for a successful future. The Executive Circle was a first step in the right direction, but it is up to us to make more of it."

"We are open to continuation"

There was great agreement to continue the process that has been started. That is why the widely expressed praise for the organisers for a "great event with potential" was also linked with the urgent wish to continue on this path and to use the momentum.

Christopher Boss promised to actively do this: "Today was the start of something new. We are open for a continuation." The presentation of the topics discussed in the think spaces in the form of a scenario analysis by the Zukunftsinstitut is already firmly planned as a next step. This is to take place at the next EUROGUSS, which will be held in Nuremberg from 16 to 18 January 2024.

Johannes Messer (r.) in conversation with Raphael Shklarek.

Johannes Messer was also satisfied with what was achieved on this day: "If we see ourselves not as competitors but as market companions, we can shape the future much better. I think we all understood that today," he said and concluded with the foundrymen's greeting: "Glückauf!” (“good luck!”).