Industrial strategy top of the agenda at first meeting of Orgalim Presidents’ Board

Orgalim President Tomas Hedenborg (Member of the Advisory Board, FASTEMS) opened the discussion with Deputy President Rada Rodriguez (Member of the Management Board, Schneider Electric), Vice President Christophe Lautray (Managing Director, Linde Materials Handling), Roland Feichtl (Managing Director, Krause & Mauser), Daniel Hager (CEO, Hager Group), Olli Manner (Chairman of the Board, Elomatic), and Javier Ormazabal (President and CEO, VELATIA).

The morning discussions zoomed in on the need for the right kind of industrial strategy in the EU, with an eye to the new European Commission set to take office in November. For the business leaders of the Presidents’ Board, an enabling EU policy framework will be crucial to safeguard the competitiveness of European industry and its ability to deliver solutions to the biggest challenges facing our society – increasingly urgent in light of the fierce global battle for tech supremacy.

The afternoon saw an exchange of views with special guest MEP Reinhard Bütikofer, with the intersection between industrial strategy and the EU’s relations with China and the US squarely in the spotlight. Speaking on behalf of the European industries driving the technology transformation of Europe, the Presidents’ Board members were keen to discuss opportunities for an ambitious EU policy for dealing with shifting global competitive dynamics that can also bolster the EU’s technology leadership.

“Closer dialogue between industry and EU decision makers is vital to enable Europe’s industrial leadership going forward,” commented Orgalim Director General Malte Lohan on the inaugural meeting. “Our Presidents’ Board is a valuable forum to facilitate this and directly bring the insights of technology business leaders to the table in Brussels.”