Manufacturing Europe's Future

AEGIS Europe, an organisation representing the interests of the manufacturing industries in the European Union, and IndustriAll Europe, the European trade union federation for manufacturing, mining and energy workers, have joined forces to host "Manufacturing Europe’s Future: How to combat growing deindustrialisation and ensure good industrial jobs? " on Thursday, 21 March 2024 at BluePoint Brussels (Boulevard Auguste Reyers 80 - 1030 Brussels) from 09:30 to 13:00. Find out how to reach the venue here and here.

Members of AEGIS Europe are particularly active in the trade defence area as Union industry, consistently advocating for a rules-based level playing field and free and fair international trade. Our recent paper “State of the Industry: AEGIS Europe’s Insights and EU Policy Recommendations” pictured an increasingly worrying situation for the EU manufacturing, whose state has been rapidly deteriorating over the past years, and proposed regulatory solutions to address the pressing challenges confronting our industries and the Single Market.

IndustriAll Europe has consistently campaigned for a proactive industrial policy for European manufacturing to maintain and create good industrial jobs in Europe and ensure a Just Transition in times of industrial transformation. On the 21st November 2023, industriAll Europe launched a campaign on Good Industrial Jobs setting out 8 solutions to address the current challenges faced by European industrial workers and our industries. Improving the quality of work, ensuring access to training and careful introduction of new technologies are central to tackling the substantial labour shortages faced, which threaten to undermine Europe’s industrial ambitions.

On the occasion of the event, we will present our organisations’ manifestos ahead of the 2024 elections and host a debate about establishing the essential conditions for the EU manufacturing to remain competitive in the upcoming 2024-2029 political cycle, with a specific focus on industrial and trade policy and having at the core the interest and rights of workers.

The event will be followed by a networking lunch, where you will be able to continue the discussions of the day.

Please note that this is an in-person event, with the option to follow the discussion online via Teams. The link to join remotely will be provided closer to the event date.

Programme:

09:00 (CET) Registration and networking breakfast

09:30 Welcoming words and opening remarks

09:50 Keynote Interview – Kerstin Jorna, Director General, DG GROW, European Commission

10:00 Panel on Industrial Policy – Preventing further deindustrialization: is there still time to avoid a total industry collapse? Policy recommendations by experts

• Marco Levi, CEO of Ferroglobe PLC
• Prof. Dr. Markus Taube, Chair for the Economy of East Asia / China at the Mercator School of Management, University of Duisburg-Essen
• Sebastian Mang, Senior Policy and Advocacy Officer at New Economics Foundation
• Louise de La Fortelle Forquenot, Senior Policy Advisor at ZF Wind Power
• Fin Krogh Jorgensen, Policy Advisor at Danish Society of Engineers (IDA)

11:00 Coffee break

11:30 Keynote Interview – Leopoldo Rubinacci, Deputy Director General, DG TRADE, European Commission

11:40 Panel on Trade Policy – Leveraging trade to restore the competitiveness of the EU industry: do we have the right instruments in Europe?

• MEP Inma Rodríguez-Piñero, S&D, Member of the INTA Committee
• Jehan Sauvage, Policy Analyst in the Trade and Agriculture Directorate of the OECD
• Andreas Klugescheid, Chief Strategic Foresight and Engagement Officer at ACEA
• Benjamin Denis, Senior Policy Advisor at industriAll Europe

12:40 Concluding remarks

13:00 Networking lunch

Moderated by David Rose, Director at LACS Training.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

BluePoint Brussels - meetings, events & office space, 80 Boulevard Auguste Reyers, Brussels, Belgium