Minister of Economic Affairs Visits the HA Center of Competence
As part of the Lower Saxony Foundry Dialogue, HA welcomed numerous representatives from politics, business, and industry associations to the Center of Competence (CoC). The visit provided a valuable platform for an in-depth exchange on the current challenges and prospects facing the foundry industry in Lower Saxony and Germany.
As part of the Lower Saxony Foundry Dialogue, HA welcomed numerous representatives from politics, business, and industry associations to the Center of Competence (CoC). The visit provided a valuable platform for an in-depth exchange on the current challenges and prospects facing the foundry industry in Lower Saxony and Germany.
Participants included the Lower Saxony Ministry of Economic Affairs, represented by Minister of Economic Affairs Grant Hendrik Tonne; the Federal Association of the German Foundry Industry (BDG); IG Metall; the Lower Saxony Business Associations (UVN); NiedersachsenMetall; and representatives of the foundry industry.
The meeting was convened to address the current economic and structural situation of the German foundry industry. The focus was on a jointly drafted position paper that sets out specific demands for the federal government and the European Union. This paper is intended to inform further discussions at the federal level; among other things, a National Foundry Dialogue is scheduled for July 10 in Berlin.
At the outset, Dr. Theuringer, CEO of the BDG, presented the current state of the foundry industry in Germany and Lower Saxony and outlined the key economic and structural challenges facing the sector. In the ensuing discussion, Mr. Röders, Chairman of the Lower Saxony Metal Casting Administrative Committee, openly addressed the actual problems facing the foundry industry. In addition, the challenges posed by high energy costs, international competitive pressure, raw material availability, and regulatory requirements in the context of industrial and climate-neutral transformation were openly discussed.
Following this, the guests were given a tour of the CoC. The focus was on approaches for implementing sustainable processes even in traditional industrial sectors and on the contribution made by digitalization through simulations and 3D printing technology.
The choice of the CoC as the conference venue underscores its importance for professional exchange and for bridging the gap between theory and industrial practice within the foundry industry. We are pleased to have hosted this important industry dialogue and to have thereby contributed to securing the future of the industry in Lower Saxony and Germany.