With an impressive international turnout, the EICF 2025 Conference kicked off in early May in Liverpool. Delegates from the USA, Japan, and India – including Tim Sullivan of the Investment Casting Association (ICA) – joined their European counterparts, highlighting the global significance of the industry. EICF Chairman Dr. Julio Aguilar (Safran) set a strong tone at the start of the event: Despite economic uncertainty in Europe, the investment casting industry is experiencing above-average growth – clear evidence of its technical and economic relevance.
In his opening address, Aguilar emphasized the industry’s spirit of innovation, engineering excellence, and exceptional adaptability. In light of global challenges such as economic pressure, geopolitical tensions, and shifting supply chains, the investment casting sector proves to be resilient and forward-looking. The industry plays a key role in ensuring industrial sovereignty and technological capability in Europe and beyond.
Looking to the future, Aguilar called for greater investment in skilled labor, research, and international cooperation. He particularly stressed the strategic importance of investment casting for critical sectors such as aerospace, defense, medical technology, energy, and automotive. Liverpool, with its industrial heritage and culture of innovation, offered the ideal setting for such a gathering.
He concluded by thanking the organizing team led by Carlos Olabe and Julie Boyce, as well as the sponsors and participants, for their dedication – and wished all attendees an insightful and future-oriented exchange within the expert community.
The well-organized event offered a perfectly balanced mix of high-level technical presentations including Rolls-Royce, CMF, ICD Europe, Voxeljet, Magma and Remet, networking with around 40 exhibitors from the supply industry, and an excellent social program. A highlight was the gala evening at the historic St. George’s Hall, featuring a performance by a Beatles tribute band. The conference concluded with a plant visit to the Tritech Group in Wales.
