Utrecht, 30 August - The manufacturing industry faces major challenges in innovation, digitalisation and talent recruitment. So said ASML CEO Peter Wennink this morning at the opening of the TechniShow and ESEF Maakindustrie, jointly the largest platform for the manufacturing industry in the Benelux. The manufacturing industry contributes 18% annually to the Dutch economy, showing double-digit growth in recent years. In economic importance, the sector is now comparable to the chemical and food industries. TechniShow and ESEF Maakindustrie take place this week at Jaarbeurs in Utrecht.
Wennink indicated that accelerating innovation should have the industry's full attention. With increasing system integration, where machines are part of a larger complex system, collaboration in the chain in innovation is of great importance. Innovation concerns not only the machines themselves, but also service and maintenance. At ASML, engineers are watching a customer on the other side of the world via hololenses to fix malfunctions. A collaborative, international knowledge network is the basis for remaining relevant to customers. Wennink also indicated at the opening that innovation cannot happen without risk and that the government should share in that risk. The industry could use that help.
War on talent
A second key challenge for the sector is recruiting and retaining talent. Wennink called on the sector not to look only to the government for this, but to join forces to train talent. Veldhoven alone employs 110 nationalities, an important signal that the pool for new talent in the Netherlands is too small. Internationalising training courses and investing in lifelong learning are therefore crucial to having and keeping enough talent. For instance, ASML expects to double its capacity in the coming years, which means that suppliers will also have to make that move, and more employees will be needed. Of ASML's annual procurement, accounting for around 10 billion euros, 80% takes place within Europe, half of which is in the Netherlands.
Digitisation
Another important theme at the centre of these days in Utrecht is the digitalisation of the manufacturing industry. Theo Henrar, chairman of FME, said at the opening that the manufacturing industry is a backbone of the Dutch economy, which is increasingly getting the appreciation it deserves. Digitisation concerns not only the machines themselves, but also the integration of all related processes, such as sales, logistics and inventory management. Henrar also stressed the great importance of cooperation in the chain in the field of digitalisation and warned about the risks in the field of cybersecurity.
Production automation must
André Gaalman, chairman of FPT-VIMAG, the Federation for Production Technology and owner of TechniShow, stressed at the opening that the sector cannot escape further production automation, due to labour market tightness and the unrelenting need for further efficiency. In Jaarbeurs these days, several hundred exhibitors will show their innovations, for example in the field of 3D printing. TechniShow and ESEF Maakindustrie will take place from Tuesday 30 August to Friday 2 September at Royal Jaarbeurs in Utrecht. Entry to the events is free.
Register for free via event.technishow.co.uk
