INESC Porto scores points at MANUFUTURE 2007 Conference

Competitiveness and Innovation
Promoted by Forum MANUFUTURE Portugal, the Conference was an opportunity for a large number of participants to debate several themes, such as innovation and competitiveness within the entrepreneurial environment.

During the event, there were presentations from various experts as well as the presentation of several actual cases of companies or institutions already investing in innovation and development.

Aims
The Conference aimed at discussing the future of the European manufacturing industry and the conditions for its sustainable development, with special emphasis on the importance of science, technology and highly qualified human resources.

The event also focused on the framework conditions that influence investment in research, development and innovation and their transformation in competitive advantages for manufacturing companies in the areas of science and technology, which are, in fact, essential for Europe‘s competitiveness.

EU Presidency
Portugal hosted the 5th edition of MANUFUTURE Conference in the context of the Portuguese Presidency of the European Union. The Conference’s previous editions have been held in Italy, the Netherlands, United Kingdom and Finland.

The Conference focused manly on the challenges of the European manufacturing industry in the current global competitiveness context and on the analysis of the first execution phase of the 7th Framework Programme for EU’s Research and Development.

The experts
The Conference welcomed important guests, such as Mariano Gago (Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education), Belmiro de Azevedo (President of MANUFUTURE Industrial Advisory Group), António Castro Guerra (Secretary of State Assistant to the Minister for Industry and Innovation) and Carlos Zorrinho (National Coordinator of the Lisbon Strategy). These guests spoke about the conditions that influence investment in research, development and innovation as well as their impact on industries and companies.

The event also welcomed foreign guests, experts on these matters, such as Heinrich Flegel (Vice-President for Research at the Daimler Group), Carlos Costa (Vice-president of the European Investment Bank), Mitchell Tseng (University of Hong-Kong), James Thompson (University of Pennsylvania) and Herbert von Bose (DG Research, European Commission).

The Workshops
One of the Conference’s most appealing points was the workshops held at several companies. In each workshop, the companies had the opportunity to present their own company cases to the participants, thus promoting the debate on some of the Conference’s most important subjects.

Eight companies were chosen to hold the workshops: Qimonda, Codizo, Multiwave Photonics, Mabera, Sonae Indústria, Bial, Frezite and Efacec. We would like to highlight the confidence of José Manuel Fernandes, President of the Frezite Group who believes that Portugal is going through an important revolutionary change in mentalities. He assured that “Entrepreneurs and managers are finally realising that the companies’ most important raw material is its workers“.

Forum MANUFUTURE Portugal
This event was an opportunity for the “Civic Association for Progress and Development in the Portuguese Manufacturing Industry – Forum MANUFUTURE Portugal” to fulfil one of its main goals. Thus, in order to create a strategy for the sustainable development of the Portuguese and European manufacturing industry, the event not only promoted the debate, but also the study of its major problems.

According to José Carlos Caldeira, one of the event’s organisers, the event improved INESC Porto’s national and international prestige immensely. He also states that “That was the outcome of the professional effort that was put in the organisation of the event. Also, it succeeded not only in the concept that was developed for the conference, but also in the results that were obtained. The active participation of a set of companies holding workshops and sharing their experiences proved to be major assets”.

Positive outcomes
According to José Carlos Caldeira, the event was quite successful: “This isn’t just my personal opinion, which can always be biased. It is a general opinion verified by the participants’ messages and comments during the event and afterwards in writing.” He also added that “the comments couldn’t have been more flattering.”

Luís Guardão from the Manufacturing Systems Engineering Unit (UESP) also believes that the event was a success. In fact, he states that “The conference was suitably organised and oriented so that its aims could be fulfilled and so that the workshops’ recommendations and conclusions could be useful. The participation was interesting and active”.

The future of the Manufacturing Industry
INESC Porto’s director believes that the manufacturing industry is an essential pillar for the Portuguese and European economic and social sustainability and will continue to be so for many years. He guarantees “I honestly believe that the future of the manufacturing industry depends much more on our attitude and activities and not so much on destiny’s misfortune or scenarios predefined as “absolute truths” by the so-called “experts”.

José Carlos Caldeira claims that, in order to guarantee a bright future, “The national manufacturing industry must take its future in its own hands with a bold and open-minded attitude and invest in competitive advantages such as R&D and training. It should also establish suitable partnerships with knowledge centres and make demands to the Government about the need for a competitive context”.

The path for a necessary evolution
José Carlos Caldeira maintains that the manufacturing industry must not be stuck on trendy theories and conjectures or follow only the immediate and easy ways. On the contrary, it should be able to discuss, solve problems and deal with challenges at the right levels. Above all, if the Portuguese (and European) industry doesn’t have faith in itself, it will end up digging its own grave (and not the Asians, the Americans or the politicians).

All the industry’s sectors must play an active role in this evolution, including the most advanced sectors as well as the most recent ones. That is, in fact, the only way to guarantee the dimension and critical mass necessary to maintain the European social model and to ensure a smooth and sustainable evolution.

Benefits for the Portuguese manufacturing industry
INESC Porto’s director believes that the Portuguese industry benefited immensely from this event. Firstly, the workshops at the companies showed the idea of what it is to be a modern, competitive and technologically advanced industry at a European level. Secondly, it was possible to gather a set of relevant concerns and recommendations to Portugal in general and to the national manufacturing industry in particular.

It is important to highlight that many people participated actively in this “adventure”. The event gathered around 350 people from 35 different countries.   There were 41 presentations, 16 of which were company study cases in parallel workshops held at Portuguese companies.

The people involved
According to the event’s organiser, some people and institutions played an essential role at the event, which is why their participation must be highlighted: “Prof. José Manuel Mendonça, Carlos Costa, the European Investment Bank, Eng. Belmiro de Azevedo and Prof. Heinrich Flegel from Daimler. They formed the event’s strategic nucleus; Ana Isabel and Sónia Pinto for their additional effort, for their availability and for the quality of their work; the Portuguese companies holding the workshops: Qimonda, Codizo, Multiwave Photonics, Mabera, Sonae Indústria, Bial, Frezite and Efacec.

INESC Porto’s director would also like to thank his co-workers who collaborated with the European companies (Acciona, Homag, Bitecic, Karcher, PTC, Sintesi, Claas and Aviation Valley) presenting their cases and sharing their experiences, as well as the several institutions that supported the event.
For more information go to http://manufuture2007.inescporto.pt