Anccem – Ethics and industry: the marriage has to be renewed

The fourth industrial revolution embodied by the strategies of Industry 4.0 has been the central issue of the national convention of the association of Italian spring makers recently held in Verona. Beyond technologies, the president of Anccem Angelo Cortesi wishes anyway changes of other relevance.

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Angelo Cortesi, president of Anccem, wishes for the Italian entrepreneurship the reintroduction of ethics in the labour world and in the context of business policies.

At the core of the national Convention of the Association of Italian Springmakers held in May in Verona there was the fourth industrial revolution based on the digitalization of processes and on the Internet of Things, in the name of the concept of German origin of Industry 4.0. Others are anyway the revolutions that the President of the association Angelo Cortesi wishes for the Italian entrepreneurship and not only, and they would require to step back under several respects. In other words, they would coincide with the reintroduction of the ethics in the labour world and in the context of business policies. Because it is from civil society’s loss not only of values but also especially «of the sense and of the direction of the pace», according to the reflection of the economist Stefano Zamagni, that originates the economy crisis. In the opinion of the number one of the association that represents 67% of the national spring producers and 82% of the manufacturers of helical springs, with 3760 employees, today we are facing a «new normality» made of financial miseries. And this is the direct consequence of «the degrading evolution of a social model that has deeply changed the Country». The latter derives from the literal application of the individualistic paradigm – «The State is not the solution for our problem, the State is the problem» – advocated by the drastic liberalism inspired by Thatcher or Reagan. However, where the free market with its heritage of “laissez-faire” becomes the only totem of economy, it is unavoidable that are generated distortions of which Italy is still paying the pledge. «Finance», stated Cortesi in the course of his speech that introduced the previous convention at Monticelli Brusati (Brescia), «today has replaced economy instead of simply supporting it. As witnessed by figures, which see the stock Exchange capitalization to rise from 20 to 70% between 1996 and 2000 in the ratio with the Italian Gross Domestic Product. It has therefore gained ground the idea, also endorsed by the strategies of some outstanding managers, that the financial speculation eliminates the need of working».

When unreliability is the rule
If not only in the Peninsula pure entrepreneurs seem to have almost disappeared, this is due to the bad fame of «tax evaders, exploiters and masters» that sometimes we have cast on them and which, however, they were not able to oppose with valid arguments. On the contrary. With the new economic thought adopted uncritically by several parties, in the opinion of Cortesi, have numerically grown the « fraudulent or incorrect behaviours on financial markets; the withdrawals of already sold products owing to manufacturing defects; the cases of blatant tax avoidance by outstanding companies for the international business». Concerning this, Angelo Cortesi mentioned some of the most glaring episodes but he has not forgone rightly pointing out one of the key factors of the Country’s loss of competitiveness and productive performances, compared to its competitor number one. Since 2007, Germany has first lost and then recovered this capacity, always maintaining the base indexes within or above 100 scores; Italian ones have fluctuated from 85 scores in 2011 to the current 75. «This drop was driven», argued Cortesi, «by the decrease of the resources destined to factories, the resistance to innovation, the excess of delocalization that cost one fourth of the industrial production and several thousands of workplaces to tricolour balances». We suffer here, much more than in the remaining G7 nations, from a real deficit of enterprises, which sadly goes hand in hand with the constant GDP decrease. Moreover, our youth is affected by the most devastating effects of such a worrying situation.

Made in Italy, a model for Europe

The National Association of Italian Springmakers attended with one of its representatives the congress of the European Spring Federation held in September 2015 in Prague, ascertaining the higher attention that the Federation pays to small and medium companies and to the initiatives launched in our Country.

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Federico Visentin, representative of the Vicenza producer Mevis.

The president Angelo Cortesi and the vice-presidents Federico Visentin, Francesco Silvestri and Marco Valli were the members of the delegation that represented the National Association of Italian Springmakers at the congress of the European Spring Federation (Esf) organized last September in Prague. The eighth international meeting was the issue of the report by Federico Visentin, representative of the Vicenza producer Mevis, satisfied with a relationship with Europe that, in his opinion «is consolidating and is extremely important». The strengthening of the relationships with the colleagues beyond the borders is witnessed by the presence in the Board of Directors of the Federation of two representatives of the made in Italy and of Anccem itself, i.e. Visentin and Francesco Silvestri. Moreover, it is supported by the strategies set by the French Presidency, in the person of the number one Michel Fauconnier. «The President in charge», explained Visentin, «is demonstrating more attention than his predecessors to the requirements of small and medium enterprises and in our opinion he is oriented to a higher pragmatism». The discussion inside the federal board seems now based on «concrete ideas and experiences» that Italy tirelessly goes on generating, arousing its partners’ curiosity «In Prague we had the opportunity of discussing the Anccem project about safety», reminded Visentin, «which was analysed with interest and judged an ambitious target attentively considered by Europe». Meetings characterized by a global propensity, like the one in Autumn 2015, a two-day convention rich of events and reports, convey the idea that the tricolour spring industry is approaching the world and highlight the weight that its entrepreneurs are acquiring or strengthening abroad: «Ours is always one of the most numerous and active delegations», said and ended Visentin.” In September 2017, an Italian city will be the venue of the biennial workshop of Esf and while until now the character of the meetings has been very technical, in the future we must succeed in focusing on the core themes for our businesses. It is worth noticing, for instance, that apart from the strong focus on economy, still few Countries and national associations produce punctual and precise statistics».
Anceem: identity card
ANCCEM (http://www.anccem.org), National Association of Italian Springmakers, is headquartered in Brescia.
Established in 1972, ANCCEM has undertaken and promoted continuous studies and researches on manufacturing costs in the ambit of Italian spring manufacturers. In addition, it organizes annual workshops where they study strategies and development models for spring makers.
ANCCEM publishes a technical manual about the design of springs, the final control procedures, the classification of quality levels, the material order procedures and the general sale terms of springs. It publishes also “MOLLIFICIO Notizie” and training manuals, it takes care of the organization of updating seminars and courses for spring manufacturers.
ANCCEM represents 67% of the national spring producers and 82% of helical spring manufacturers, with 3760 employees.
It is associated member of ESF – European Spring Federation.

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