Luigi Galdabini is the new President of the European Association of the Machine Tool Industries (CECIMO). The election was comunicated during the meeting held 3 December 2015 in Brussels by the CECIMO General Assembly. Succeeding in this role Mr Jean-Camille Uring, Executive Board Member of Fives and President of Symop, Mr Galdabini has been entrusted with the responsibility of leading the European Association that represents 39% of the world machine tool (MT) production.
During his Presidency, Mr Uring stressed that investments in modern manufacturing equipment and technology are key to improve productivity, efficiency and resource use. The adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies is essential to accelerate the shift of European industries towards smart, digitalized, inter-connected production. Mr. Uring underlined that higher amounts of direct equity and loan guarantees should be provided to SMEs, to help them overcome the capital shortages putting a brake to productive capital investments. He also called for adequate financing to help reinforce the infrastructure for research and innovation in advanced manufacturing technologies. He has also emphasized that substantial investment in education and training is needed to close the growing skills gap and help the existing workforce adapt to technological change.
CECIMO President Mr. Galdabini says: “The European MT sector moves towards the adoption of disruptive technologies such as intelligent production and additive manufacturing. The sector is accelerating the integration of new technologies like big data and industrial internet into its equipment and services, laying the foundations of the future’s intelligent and connected factories. This evolution is reflected in CECIMO’s activities.” CECIMO urges the EU policy-makers to shape supportive framework conditions for the digitalisation of industry and for the development of additive manufacturing technologies to increase the competitiveness of the European industry as a whole.
These new industrial trends and technologies change the rules of global competition. The digitalisation of manufacturing and the penetration of disruptive technologies into the industrial base lead to significant productivity and efficiency gains. Breakthrough production techniques stretch the limits of product design and innovation whilst providing solutions to societal challenges. Moreover, the mass-customisation trend opens the way to the re-industrialisation of Europe. Against this background, Europe has to move faster than its competitors to tap into opportunities in advanced manufacturing
Born in 1958, Mr. Luigi Galdabini has a degree in mechanical engineering from the Polytechnic of Milan. Since 1990 he has been the managing director of Cesare Galdabini spa, a company with headquarters in Cardano al Campo (VA), leader in the manufacturing of metal forming technology machine tools and machine testing equipment. The company has now reached its fourth generation, and has been an associate member of UCIMU-SISTEMI PER PRODURRE since 1948. In June 2012, Mr. Galdabini was elected president by the Assembly of this association. He is chairman of AITA (Associazione Italiana Tecnologie Additive), the association involved in the field of additive manufacturing. He is vice president of UNIVA, Associazione degli Industriali della Provincia di Varese, and member of the General Council of Confindustria.
Luigi Galdabini was member of the Board of CECIMO prior to his appointment as President of CECIMO.