ASSOMAC stands beside companies wishing to remain globally competitive
The topic of the ASSOMAC Annual Meeting in Vigevano on Friday 25 May is how the world and business models are changing.
“ASSOMAC is seen as a vibrant association –says the ASSOMAC President Gabriella Marchioni Bocca. We work on a daily basis comparing notes with our members and giving rise to projects and acts of real and concrete support to companies. Part of our everyday work consists in the commitment to effectively support the changes and challenges placed before us by a constantly evolving world. From a national standpoint, we cannot predict what the new Government will do but, without entering into the politics, we hope it furthers the needs of the entrepreneurial system so that Italy may continue to be an industrial nation and leading exporter, and that it supports companies in their research and innovation of processes and products, maintaining the value of ‘made in Italy’ products high worldwide.”
Professor Raffaele Secchi of the LIUC Business School will be present at the debate entitled “My kind ofcompany”, focusing on how to develop efficient organizational models and best manage production processes in an international context that is changing radically.
Competitive models are shifting at tremendous speed and influencing company strategies and operational choices. The market demands increasing personalisation, flexibility and cost cutting – imposing a rethink of company processes. Companies must be ever readier to introduce lean production organisation models and rationales and consider the opportunities offered by digitalization. Finally, no less important are training and human capital, cornerstones of the ASSOMAC approach.
The Annual Meeting also offers an opportunity to take stock of the past year’s achievements while, at the same time, providing information on the Association’s future projects.
“This last year was complex in many senses – continues Gabriella Marchioni Bocca. It was a year of major global instability but also one of successes and satisfactions for ASSOMAC. Our sector closed the year positively, with an average growth of 10%. Yet, we are perceiving a certain slow down after five years of rising figures. This may be a physiological shrinkage given the high growth rates recorded in recent years or, more generally, a reaction to the international uncertainty linked to the protectionist policies threatened and introduced by some countries. Protectionist policies that could have serious repercussions on Italy as one of the world’s leading exporting countries. And serious repercussions for us as we export nearly 75% of our production.”
One of the paths identified by the Association to remain internationally competitive rests on sustainable and energy-efficient machinery and production processes: this is where the Green Label Project comes in; it is a way of certifying member companies’ ability to be innovative and attentive not only to production needs but environmental ones too. Already more than 30 companies have joined the project and we expect this number to continue growing before the end of the year.
“The technological innovations within the framework of Industry 4.0 – adds Gabriella Marchioni Bocca– form the structural bridge needed to change the development model from a sustainable standpoint and the buzzwords are: automated process, robotics and intelligent machines that can communicate with each other (MachineToMachine) and interface simply with supervision systems.”
The Association’s promotional work around the world is also important and is boosted by the precious assistance of the Ministry of Economic Development and ITA. Significant results have been achieved and the foundations laid for the creation of new projects in Egypt, Pakistan, Cuba, Vietnam, Colombia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran and Russia.
Vigevano, 25 May 2018
