Networking the future: interview with the World Foundry Organization
28 Jun 2023
The future of the foundry sector is “really positive”, according to José Javier González, General Secretary of the World Foundry Organization (WFO), who was speaking at the Foseco stand at GIFA 2023. Global production is recovering after the declines seen during the COVID-19 pandemic and long-term trends support growth. “Manufacturing will always need castings, so as manufacturing demand rises over time, demand for our industry’s products will follow.”
Costs, skills, and sustainability
That’s not to say there are no storm clouds ahead.
The most pressing problem now is “ensuring foundries can be profitable, as cost pressures have been rising across the industry over the last few years, exacerbated by the current energy crisis,” said González. “There is also an acute shortage of workers, which is impacting all regions, with foundries facing a major challenge in recruitment and training.”
And then there is sustainability and the industry’s response to climate change. “Decarbonization of the foundry industry is necessary,” said González. “The issue for us is how we get there. What is the roadmap for making this possible? Foundries around the world are concerned about this and taking steps to reduce emissions. But real change will need us to move together as an industry.”
Connecting the global foundry industry
González believes the WFO has a key role to play in supporting the industry to meet these global challenges. “Our strength is our wide global network. This enables us to identify best practices from around the world and bring them to a wider audience. We can also bring the industry together in a neutral setting to discuss issues and work toward a solution.”
As an example, González noted a recent event hosted by the WFO that brought foundry operators from around the world together in Hannover, Germany, to discuss decarbonization, with the aim of creating an industry roadmap to net zero. “Attendees were keen to attend and co-operate to come up with a solution,” he added.
It is this ability to bring together the industry from around the world that also makes GIFA such as important event for the foundry sector, continued González. “GIFA is a vital meeting place: the place you need to be to network and connect with the latest solutions and innovations in the industry. That’s the great value of GIFA.”
Working together, toward a better future
Partnership and knowledge were a key theme of the Foseco stand at the tradeshow. The stand featured 37 customer case studies, showcasing how the company works with its customers to develop new productions and solutions. “We don’t believe that anyone has all of the answers,” said Foseco’s Vice President for Marketing and Technology, Rob Welland. “The industry will therefore only find the solutions it needs by building strong partnerships.”
Foseco also announced it was becoming a Lifetime Legacy Sponsor of the WFO at GIFA. “We are excited about this new agreement, which further strengthens a relationship that has been growing for some time and will enable us to propose and develop a greater value proposition for our industry,” said González.
“We are committed to the ongoing success of the foundry industry and believe the WFO has an important role to play in delivering this,” added Foseco’s Rob Welland. “For this reason, we’ve long sponsored the WFO and many events that they organise. At a key moment for the industry, it was a natural next step for us to take our involvement to the next level, to further engage with and support the industry as it works to recover and flourish in today’s sometimes-difficult market conditions.”
The World Foundry Organization is the recognised centre of strategic foundry knowledge, designed to develop, enhance and improve the production of metal castings; through the latest technical and sustainable industry practices.