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CHANGES AT THE HELM OF THE EUROPEAN FOUNDRY ASSOCIATION AS THE INDUSTRY RECOGNISES ITS IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE ‘GREEN REVOLUTION’

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At the recent Council meeting of the European Foundry Association, CAEF, Roberto Ariotti (Italy) was appointed as the new Chairman of the Executive Committee, taking over from Luis Felipe Villas-Boas (Portugal) at the completion of his term of office.

During his tenure as the first chairman of the Executive Committee, Luis Felipe had successfully commenced a strategic review of the work of the CAEF, which had resulted in additional resources being made available to the Association, enabling a revision of the website, an increase in the information supplied to the Member Associations and greater engagement with the European Commission, EC.  Indeed, the Association had also been proactive in its engagement with EC to ensure that the industry’s role as a vital supplier during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as being very active in ensuring that the industry was fully engaged and represented during the on-going BREF revision.   This was appreciated by the more than 25 attendees from around Europe, all of whom joined the meeting virtually for the first time in the Association’s history.

In thanking the meeting for electing him as the new chairman, Roberto reflected that as the 4th generation in his family’s iron foundry in northern Italy, a company that supplies the wind energy sector, he was looking forward to continuing the work that Luis Felipe and the Secretariat team had started.  “It is vital that we confirm our industry’s reputation as a “solution provider” for the Green Revolution we are about to experience.  Our industry is an integral part of the circular economy but we need to increase our visibility and get this message across to policymakers as well as to the general public via the mass media – this should be a win-win situation.  Our industry is facing significant change, but castings remain fundamental to the supply chain for e-mobility, renewable energy and sustainability programmes and we know that metals are infinitely recyclable.


“At the same time, we need to ensure the competitiveness of the European Foundry Industry, through R&D and embracing digitalisation, and show the industry’s importance for regional employment; this will require continued engagement on environmental and H&S matters”.

Dr Pam Murrell said, “even though the UK is leaving the European Union, it is clear that we face some common issues and as industry associations, we need to work together to ensure that foundries remain part of the solution as we transition to net zero carbon and that the sector is attractive to young people who want to be part of an industry that can make a difference globally.”

Other Members of the Executive Committee include Wilfrid Boyault (France), Witold Dobosz (Poland), S. Koray Hatipoglu (Turkey) Pam Murrell (UK), Ignacio de la Peña (Spain), Max Schumacher (Germany) and Luis Filipe Villas-Boas (Portugal).

During the meeting, which was chaired by CAEF President, Ignacia De La Pena (Spain), Dr Fynn Lohe (BDG, Germany) was also approved as interim CAEF Secretary General and the meeting welcomed Tillman van de Sand as Secretary for the Economics and Statistics Commission of CAEF.

Dr Lohe then provided an overview of the current business climate for the global industry as well as some recent sectoral trends, reflecting on the challenges that the industry has faced as well as the important role that many foundries have played throughout the pandemic, supplying the freight, food and medical sectors.
 

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Cast Metals Federation

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B70 6PY West Bromwich
England

Telephone: +44 (0) 121 601 6397

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