Annual World Meeting in Melbourne - Australia

European industry was directly represented by associations from Germany, Finland, France and Portugal and the first meeting of ISTMA World was presided over by Jean-Louis Rabourdin.

This meeting also served to introduce the new General Manager of ISTMA World, Eduardo Beira, who will represent the Portuguese Moulds Industry Association – CEFAMOL. We would like to remind readers that CEFAMOL currently presides over ISTMA Europe through Joaquim Menezes and also holds the organization’s secretaryship.

Of note at the meeting was the debate on the current situation and the transformation of the business model which the industry is presently seeing within the context of globalization and the relocation of its main clients. Particular attention was given to the countries represented at ISTMA, with special emphasis on Asian countries and to a number of experiences of inter-company collaboration in the promotion of new markets and the development of new areas of business.

Meetings were held on the 28th, which were preceded by visits to industry companies in the Melbourne region.

The main conclusions of these three days of intense work were:

• the relevance given to establishing stronger cooperation between the different ISTMA associations, its companies and research centres in the different countries and regions;
• the need and special importance for the development of the industry, which has programmes to strengthen its image with main institutional partners, more specifically official national, regional and world organizations. These organizations must be alerted to the need for strategic positioning which the industry presents as a foundation for the whole industrial structure, whether this is in the creation of new products and innovation or in the sustainability of industrial employment and the development of new companies;
• the launching of new the portals for Europe and the World Association, developed in Portugal by the Executive Management of ISTMA World and the Technological Centre for Mould-making, Special Tooling and Plastics (CENTIMFE) from Portugal which, in addition to being an excellent means of visibility and promotion, will inform on the numerous activities it promotes as well as those of its members. Discussed and approved as a fundamental tool for the communication and obtaining of international information on the industry, which will be accessible to the general public. This important communication platform will also have a restricted level of access for associates and members for inter-pair communication or other internal activities.

The work for the creation of the Internet Portal – www.istma.org – with access to regional and national portals was enthusiastically received and applauded by all the representatives present. The general opinion of participants on the balance of the meeting was particularly positive for the organizational work of the Australian association and with regard to the new leadership in the form of the Portuguese team. It was also thought that significant steps were taken to strengthen institutional relationships between organizations representing the moulds and special tools industries all over the world.

At the end of the meeting, the proposal presented by the Portuguese delegation was unanimously approved, for Portugal to hold on 12 and 13 June 2006, the next ISTMA World General Assembly.

The programme for this international meeting closed with a seminar on the Australian moulds and special tools industry. This proved to be an interesting opportunity for those present to get to know a number of the initiatives and developments which companies and official organizations in this country have underway to help sustain the industry and assist in its technological development.