The fair was visited by 20.764 assistants

The sixth edition of Maquitec, which was closed at the new Fira de Barcelona Gran Via M2 on October 29, 2005, recorded 20.764 visits by professionals linked to industrial activity. The high concentration of buyers in the peninsular Northeast - 40 per cent of the demand of the sector-Maquitec becomes a room where there are numerous business contacts. Many of the exhibitors declared having exceeded their expectations of participation, closing different operations of sale in the living room and, in general, the participating companies again valued the quality of the visitor.

Josep Morell, President of Maquitec.

All the specialties of the metallurgical industry have been present at Maquitec 2005, a lounge that offers solutions for those industrial processes which manipulate metal elements, such is the case in the industry for the automotive industry, manufacturing of household appliances, articles and metal parts, construction, electricity and optics, among others, it is an area that extends across almost all economic activities.

More specifically, the metallurgical industry sectors represented in Maquitec has been: machine tools, welding, cutting, hydraulic and pneumatic tools, CAD/CAM, measurement and control, accessories and surface heat treatments, automation and tooling, subcontracting and engineering and support services.

Maquitec 2005 met the participation of 800 brands represented in a total of 230 booths. The net surface occupied palaces 3 and 4 of the Gran Via exhibition site was 12.813 square metres. Hall of Fira de Barcelona has been the transformation of the metallurgical sector following the incorporation of new technologies in design and manufacturing processes. Automation, the growing importance of engineering, innovation applied not only to the development of new products and more efficient production methods but also to the design, management, marketing tools, etc., are some of the keys that have defined the commercial offer of the Barcelonian industrial fair.

Maquitec was inaugurated by the conseller of Treball i Indústria, Generalitat de Catalunya, Josep M. Rañé, who previously met with the members of the Organizing Committee of the Salon he presented some of the concerns that are of concern to the metallurgical sector. The aid insufficient to improve the competitiveness and innovation, the difficulty in finding qualified labour, and little flexibility companies were focused on the meeting with the Counsellor.

The event has established itself as a trade fair that brings knowledge, shows innovation, and promotes the internationalization of companies in the metallurgical sector in new markets such as the Euro-Mediterranean or Eastern Europe. This year Maquitec has become an important forum of sectoral debate to reflect on the present moment and on the main trends that will mark the evolution of the metallurgical industry and its openness to new markets. More than 400 people participated in various forums, seminars and conferences held in the framework of Maquitec.

Overview of the event.

In this regard, on 25 and 26 October took place the second edition of the Euro-Mediterranean Forum of Industrial cooperation with the presence of more than one hundred foreign professionals of the Euro-Mediterranean area. The inaugural session of the event was attended with the assistance of the Minister of industry, trade and Economic Affairs of Morocco, Salah Edin Mezouar, who defended the creation of an economic bloc Euro-Mediterranean "offensive" to deal with competition from other markets such as South Asia. Salah Edin Mezouar presented Morocco as "socio-economic" advanced and encouraged European businessmen to take advantage of opportunities and competitive advantages of the countries of the South of the Mediterranean. The Minister recalled that Morocco has bilateral trade agreements with the United States.UU. and several Arab and African countries which makes it possible for companies which are established in the Alaouite Kingdom entering these markets free of tariffs. In this regard, the Minister has assured that "the true relocation is going to Asia". "Euro-Mediterranean countries, on the other hand, occur in locations of the companies in a geographic area that is becoming an economic pole".

According to the Chairman of the Organizing Committee of Maquitec, Josep Morell, "Mediterranean industrial management" is an option for the future. For Morell, European countries have to make "industry, innovation, new technologies and ingenuity" in the construction of this new free trade zone.

In this forum was presented the first study on the State of innovation in the Euro-Mediterranean area. This report identifies the technological poles and the tools of innovation that exist in both shores of the Mediterranean to provide North-South cooperation in the industrial field and attract investment. In the rest of the session were he spoke sector of industrial subcontracting as a way of inter-firm cooperation among countries and case studies of investment in the countries of the South of the Mediterranean were also presented.

This forum has been associated different business meetings. Attending professionals visited the Hall and held meetings with some exhibitors of the Salon.

Maquitec inaugural session.

Alex Ruiz, Economist of the Servei d'Estudis Econòmics of la Caixa presented Turkey as one of the markets more attractive to the subcontracting

The Barcelona Chamber held on 27 and 28 October in the framework of Maquitec the second edition of the European forum for Industrial subcontracting where various rapporteurs noted the competitiveness of the Spanish industry, clearing fears of relocation on a large scale. In these days the director of trade outside of the Council Superior of Chambers, Carlos Díaz, portrayed the activity of outsourcing to Spain "which is part of all sectors" and said that you to compete has to bet on quality and technology. For its part, Alex Ruiz, Economist at Server d'Estudis la Caixa Econòmics offered his view on the future of the sector in the markets of the Europe of the East and China. Ruiz said that the multiliocalización must be the result of a well-defined strategy and introduced Turkey as one of the markets most attractive for subcontracting. Also, the Lide Salvador consultant presented the conclusions of a study on the impact of the industrial multilocalización in Spanish companies in outsourcing.

As a novelty, workshops were held to discuss the present and future of four sectors closely linked to industrial subcontracting: metal, plastic, aerospace and electronics.

Associated with this event, also developed Europeans encounters V of Industrial subcontracting contacted to 25 companies European contractors of first level companies Spanish subcontractors. The participating foreign companies belong to sectors: aerospace, electronic, metallurgical, automotive, capital equipment, plastics, machine tool manufacturing and energy. All proposed concrete demands and seeking subcontractors in Spain.

"European countries have to provide industry, innovation, new technologies and ingenuity in the construction of this new free trade zone"

Meda Industrial Forum opening session.

They completed the programme of conferences at Maquitec, the seminar organized by the Spanish Association of shopping and holdings with the title "Vision of the new industrial economy and procurement" which focused especially on the sector of the machine tool and outsourcing with particular attention to cases of Mexican and Czech markets and the Cycle of conferences of Pimec innovation entitled "how to create own product and sell it". These last few days focused on industrial design and its protection, marketing and entry into new markets and financing and State aid available to companies.

II Forum of subcontracting.

Fira de Barcelona is already working on the edition of 2007 which will be the consolidation of the Hall

As says the President of the Organizing Committee of Maquitec, Josep Morell, "Fira de Barcelona is already working on the edition of 2007 which will be the definitive consolidation of the Hall". "The Organization has already been in contact with different companies and sectoral entities and all considered the change of venue a success to odd-numbered years," says Morell. The main objective is to revalidate the growth of the Hall both in the supply of business and number of professionals and still make a profitable living room for the metallurgical industry in Maquitec.

Maquitec is a leading Hall of Fira de Barcelona, the organizing body of industrial and professional rooms in Spain and one of the first four in Europe in number of events.