It is a pleasure to welcome you here today in Milan for the Euro PM2017.
I believe it is a unique occasion to share what are the current status and the trends of our European Powder Metallurgy industry.
Italy is a perfect place to hold such a conference as Italy has a deep and strong track record in PM. Powder producers and parts manufacturers are well represented in Italy with big companies recognized worldwide. MIM, Hardmetals and Additive Manufacturing are also represented by several manufacturers of small-medium size, all linked together in the supply chain and Italy’s PM industry is supported by special equipment manufacturers.
In the press & sinter sector, Italy is the third biggest parts producer in Europe, largely supported by a strong automotive market. On top of this Italian industry also enjoys the growth of new PM ‘players’ in medical and aerospace/energy field.
During the last years, we have seen a stabilization of PM business in Italy, 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.
Thanks to such vigorous growth, PM is at the forefront of technology and the preferred choice for a number of EU industries, including the Automotive
Industry as well as the Medical, Aerospace and Engineering sectors.
This event will see a great coverage with a large number of technical sessions and seminars covering MIM, AM, Press & Sinter, HIP and Hard Metals.
To round off, I must say that I remain convinced that all the wheels are set in motion for PM to take off 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 Milan!
Mr Philippe Gundermann
EPMA President