Dear PM Colleagues,
It is a pleasure to welcome you here today in Bilbao for the Euro PM2018, I believe it is a unique occasion to share the current status and the trends of our European Powder Metallurgy industry.
Spain is a perfect place to hold such a conference as it has a deep and strong track record in PM. Powder producers and parts manufacturers are well represented with big companies recognized worldwide. MIM, HIP, Hardmetals and Additive Manufacturing are also represented by several manufacturers ofsmall-medium size, all linked together in the supply chain and Spain’s PM industry is supported by a strong research network.
In the Press & Sinter sector, Spain is the second biggest parts producer in Europe, largely supported by a strong automotive market. On top of this, Spanish industry also enjoys the growth of new PM players in the medical, aerospace and energy fields.
In recent years, we have seen growth of the PM business in Spain at a brisk pace, a consolidation of the existing players, as well as the development on the international markets of companies renovating their product portfolios. Among the long term challenges, we can identify development of new PM applications and more generally the improvement of the competitiveness of PM technology.
Our European PM industry is moving at a brisk pace, experiencing robust and successful growth. With this comes a need to reflect and communicate on current trends in our sectors, which is the main ambition of this congress.
During the event we will see great coverage with a large number of technical sessions and seminars covering MIM, AM, Press & Sinter, HIP, Hard Metals and also functional materials.
To round off, I must say that I remain convinced that all the wheels are set in motion for PM to continue to develop in the years ahead. Through our hard work, we are creating an EPMA platform that not only encourages agile organisation and workflow, but also favours the environment and promotes innovative practice in our industry.
Welcome to Bilbao!
Philippe Gundermann
EPMA President