SUBCONTRACTING 2014 BUILDS CONFIDENCE OF A BRIGHTER FUTURE
The program for the International Subcontracting Trade Fair, which will be held in Tampere from the 16th to the 18th of September 2014, has been published. The three day event will include interesting seminars which focus on a wide range of topics related to industrial activities, the economy, the future of subcontracting and factors behind a successful subcontracting business. This year the theme of the Subcontracting Trade Fair is mechanical engineering, which can clearly be seen in the program. Mechanical engineering is also relevant to the majority of the exhibitors taking part in the trade fair.
“The entire Finnish industrial scene, including the top companies, will be represented at the trade fair. The event will offer a cross-section of the products, services and solutions available in the subcontracting industry. Every year our exhibitors develop some 2000 new innovations, so it is virtually impossible to get this much up-to-date information on the current selection and prospects anywhere else. The event was sold out at the beginning of the year and it will fill up the entire exhibition space. The hottest topics will, of course, include the economic outlook, methods to improve competitiveness as well as internationalization. Mechanical engineering can be seen in the program which is more diverse than ever before. The importance of marketing will also be highlighted in a new way. Finnish industrial companies have a great deal of expertise and fantastic products, but they also need to be able to sell them,” says Product Group Manager Jani Maja of Tampere Trade Fairs Ltd.
This year the leading Finnish industrial trade fair will be opened by the Executive Director of Perheyritysten liitto, Matti Vanhanen. The theme speaker will be Ponsse Oyj's Managing Director Juho Nummela. As part of the opening ceremony, the Finnish Association of Purchasing and Logistics (LOGY) will present the awards for the Subcontractor of the Year and the Contractor of the Year. The opening will be held on Tuesday 16 September at 10 am.
Pekka Heikonen, Pemamek Oy: Investments Drive Success
CEO Pekka Heikonen of Pemamek Oy, the recipient of the Contractor of the Year 2013 award, is concerned about the low level of investments in industrial countries. Many companies seem to be very cautious when the media starts to write about economic recessions, even though that would be the time to stand out among competitors.
“Companies need to act more on a national and international level to secure financing and in turn to increase the competiveness their company, also here in Europe, in order to maintain a high level of quality and production in the metal industry. When encouraging private enterprises to invest, we have the opportunity to leave the recession behind and to increase international trade. There are already many positive signals from the market showing that investments are rebounding. I strongly believe (and know) that a lot of metal and welding companies are at the moment planning for new investments, since the markets are getting tougher and the demand for continuous updating of production and production capacity is increasing,” says CEO Pekka Heikonen of Pemamek Oy.
Pekka Heikonen's Subcontracting column: www.alihankinta.fi.
Antti Kontiainen, ATA Gears Oy: We need to adopt a more positive and less negative attitude
President Antti Kontiainen of ATA Gears Oy, the recipient of the Subcontractor of the Year 2013 award, says that competition is increasing, which means that even harder work is required to maintain growth. This includes more intensive cooperation with the customers and subcontractors. Without investments, it is impossible to keep up with the development.
“In times such as these, suppliers must fine-tune their own processes in terms of supply security and quality. Once the basics have been taken care of, then service attitude remains the decisive factor. In short, this means keeping any promises made and straightforward collaboration where the partners carry each other through thick and thin. We should have the courage to develop our know-how and make more investments. It is also clear that we must increase our exports. We should learn from each other, do more networking and participate in internal and external cooperation, adopting a more positive and less negative attitude. Meanwhile, it is worth remembering that trade never stops. Without orders, there are no results,” says President Antti Kontiainen of ATA Gears Oy.
Antti Kontiainen's Subcontracting column: www.alihankinta.fi.
Tarja Virmala, MTL ry: Finnish companies should have better marketing skills
The Finland's most marketing oriented engineer competition will be launched as part of the Subcontracting Trade Fair. The competition offers an excellent way to show the importance of marketing among industrial professionals. The competition will now be organized for the third time.
“If Finnish companies were better at marketing, we would be able to handle the international competition better. Small and medium-sized companies in particular have a lot of potential for growth and internationalization. Therefore, we will launch this competition at the Subcontracting Trade Fair as there will be a large number of industrial professionals. The competition will be open until 14 November and the winner will receive a prize of 10,000 euros,” says Managing Director Tarja Virmala of the Finnish Association of Marketing Communication Agencies (MTL).
MTL's Most marketing oriented engineer seminar will introduce concrete ways to increase sales with the help of smart marketing. In addition to the example cases, Pekka Aula, professor of innovation communication, will tell the audience how to lead the customer to purchase. Further information: www.mtl.fi.
Tampereen Seudun Viestintäyhtymä ry and Tampere Trade Fairs Ltd. will organize a seminar entitled Innovaatioiden markkinointi ja myynti (Innovation marketing and sales) which will discuss the power of sales and marketing in commercializing innovations. The results of the Sales and Marketing in subcontracting companies survey will also be published as part of the seminar.
Mechanical engineering will be strongly visible – FIMECC Ltd. involved as a partner
This year's theme, mechanical engineering, is one of the pillars of the Finnish economy. It provides the export earnings needed to finance our massive public sector. We can export anything, including software expertise, as the end products of mechanical engineering. The theme has been developed together with FIMECC Ltd. which is one of the strategic centers for science, technology and innovation (SHOK), promoting the mechanical engineering and metal industry. Harri Kulmala, CEO of FIMECC, says that Finland is a pioneer in mechanical engineering and the expertise is concentrated in Tampere. It is like the Silicon Valley of mechanical engineering. Harri Kulmala's Subcontracting column: www.alihankinta.fi.
FIMECC's 7th annual seminar will offer the best results of its programs, a review of FIMECC's activities and processes for updating their research agenda, an introduction to start-ups and their results as well as voting on the winner of the FIMECC Prize. The keynote speech will deal with the future of the industrial internet.
FIMECC Ltd., Tampere Public Transport, Tampere University of Applied Sciences and Tampere Trade Fairs Ltd. will hold the ÄLYNYSSE competition between 2 May and 31 July. “Älynysse” (“the smart bus”) is Tampere Public Transport's bus no. 277 which runs on routes 21, 23 and 30. Passengers can take part in the development of buses and public transportation. The first prize is 2,000 euros. In addition, 3000 euros will be divided among other winning entries. The winner selected by the jury will be published at the trade fair. Further information regarding the interactive development platform for the machine, transportation and service competition is available at www.fimecc.com.
Investments, innovations, design, internationalization and growth as seminar topics
The trade fair program includes several seminars and information sessions. The Federation of Finnish Technology Industries and the Association of Finnish Technical Traders will hold the Uudistu investoinneilla (Improvement through investments) seminar that will discuss the alternative financing solutions available for SMEs as well as the impact of investments and quality on a company's competitiveness and flexibility. LOGY ry will organize a seminar entitled Avoin innovaatio teollisuuden alihankintaketjussa (Open innovation in the industrial subcontracting chain). In Finland, 50-80% of the resources that produce added value are outside of the companies. Collaboration is needed to ensure success. The seminar will describe how to engage in open product development and innovation so that the entire network is involved in the collaboration.
Design Forum Finland's Design Road Show seminar will give design specialists and industrial design agencies an opportunity to tell how companies can improve their competitiveness with the help of design and what is going on in the world of design at the moment. The Finland-Hong Kong Trade Association will host a seminar entitled Konepajan kansainvälistyminen laadusta tinkimättä (Internationalization of a machine workshop without sacrificing the quality). The success of a machine workshop cluster requires more from both the subcontractor and the principal. The seminar will describe how a subcontractor can succeed in the international market. In addition, the seminar will discuss how companies can ensure quality when the supplier is far away and in a different culture.
The Team Finland network, which operates in Finland and abroad, supports the regeneration, growth and internationalization of companies. The Team Finland seminar will explain how companies have utilized the network's services and what kind of new international business opportunities are available. The seminar will be opened by the Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade. Aalto University, the Finnish Rapid Prototyping Association FIRPA ry and Tampere Trade Fairs Ltd. will organize a 3D printing mini-seminar as part of the trade fair. Other seminar topics include Laserhitsauksella tehokkuutta sarjatuotantoon (Laser welding improves the efficiency of series production), Liettuan markkinat tutuiksi (Get familiar with the Lithuanian market), JotBar-ratkaisut työajan ja töiden hallintaan (JotBar solutions for working hours and work management) and Poland is closer than you think.
Check out the entire program at www.alihankinta.fi (The programme in the Subcontracting trade fair is mainly in Finnish).
ALIHANKINTA 2014:
The Subcontracting Trade Fair from 16 to 18 September 2014 at Tampere Exhibition and Sports Centre (Tampere, Finland). The event will be open from 9 am until 5 pm on Tuesday and Wednesday and from 9 am until 4 pm on Thursday. There will be one thousand exhibitors from approx. 20 countries. The event will be visited by almost 17,000 industrial professionals. Tampere Trade Fairs Ltd. arranges the annual Subcontracting Trade Fair together with its main partners: the Federation of Finnish Technology Industries, the Rubber Manufacturers' Association of Finland, the Finnish Plastics Industries Federation and the Finnish Association of Purchasing and Logistics (LOGY).
FURTHER INFORMATION: www.alihankinta.fi
Twitter: @Alihankinta
Tampereen Messut Oy, www.tampereenmessut.fi
Jani Maja, Product Group Manager, tel. +358 50 356 1325,
jani.maja(a)tampereenmessut.fi
Tanja Järvensivu, Communications Manager, tel. +358 50 536 8133,
tanja.jarvensivu(a)tampereenmessut.fi
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