
Subcontracting Trade Fair - Globally local
26–28th Sept 2023
Tue-Wed 9am-5pm, Thu 9am-4pm
#Alihankinta #GloballyLocal
Tue-Wed 9am-5pm, Thu 9am-4pm
#Alihankinta #GloballyLocal
Subcontracting presents the metal, electronics, plastics and rubber industries, industrial ICT solutions, as well as design and consulting within these fields. In three days, Finland's leading industrial event will offer visitors a unique overview of the industry's prospects and the future.
Event theme of 2023 is Globally Local.
Industry Appeal’s Subcontracting and SubcontractingHEAT attracted people to three topical, professional and eye-opening days on 27.–29.9.2022 at the Tampere Exhibition and Sports Centre. The industrial celebration in Tampere was particularly praiseworthy for the long-awaited encounters.
A total of 13 108 visitors and 1 006 exhibitors from 12 countries attended the event. The next Subcontracting trade fair will take place on 26–28 September 2023.
The Subcontracting and the SubcontractingHEAT event entity were considered successful. Visitors arrived in masses and with particularly positive spirit to Finland’s largest trade fair in the industrial sector. Topical themes were praised, and there were plenty of topics for discussion over the course of three days. High-quality encounters were the most significant yield of this appealing industry event.
Last year, we won the Industrial Act of the Year award and are still very touched and proud about it. Reasons for the win included AGCO Power’s heavy investment in the production of engines and transmission components at Linnavuori in Nokia. Our broad-minded application of automation in various processes and investments in expertise also played a part in why we were chosen.
AGCO Power is a good example of a business where the foreign owner is ready to invest in due to the high level of expertise in the company. Our five-year investment programme, which started in 2019, includes approximately EUR 70M investments in modern and flexible manufacturing technology, logistics, assembly and machining.
To my mind, the Industrial Act of the Year award is a great way to highlight the importance of industry to national economy. It is sometimes overlooked, despite of the many great Finnish businesses that employ vast numbers of skilled people and bring much-needed tax revenue to our country. As this award brings forth a wider awareness of the importance of industry, I hope it will also increase its appreciation.
A happy ecosystem is an ecosystem that breathes and shows humanity. It dares to try and to live and it trusts the different people in the organisation. Kindness and offering peer support are characteristic to a happy ecosystem.
In a happy ecosystem, there is no Someone Else to blame. People react to things immediately, whether they are part of their responsibilities or not. Any issues are brought up without delay or fixed immediately if possible. There are many grey areas at the junctions of subcontracting chains; these are the playgrounds of that imaginary Someone Else. Time and meetings can be saved if there is no Someone Else, only you and I. Us, together.
The long period of low inflation, negative interest rates, and cheap raw materials and energy is now over. This poses a whole new set of challenges for companies’ operations, as doing things well will no longer guarantee success. When suppliers are unable to provide materials and raw stock, processing will not produce added value. When the prices of energy or source materials rise significantly, operational profitability will face notable, even insurmountable challenges.
In terms of the export industry’s competitiveness, it is essential to create networks that can manage large wholes so that price competitiveness and delivery reliability can be maintained. This requires forecasting, materials procurement on a long-term basis, and good cooperation throughout the entire delivery chain. This will also take the requirements of the Lean ideology to a new level. Operating on the production pull control is not enough – one must be able to ensure the availability and price competitiveness of raw materials even before any actual production decisions are made. All this requires simplification at the portfolio level and broad visibility within the subcontractor network.
The mechanical engineering sector is a key driver of exports in the Tampere region. There are dozens of global large as well as small and medium sized companies in the region that provide a total of 34,000 jobs. Of these, roughly 6,000 require vocational training.
In 2021, the turnover of the technology industry in the Tampere Region was over 8 billion euros, the majority of which came from exports. In all of Finland, technology companies employ 319,000 persons directly and 670,000 persons indirectly. The age structure of the workers in the mechanical engineering sector is, however, somewhat imbalanced: every year in the Pirkanmaa region, roughly 500 professionals retire from the sector, but only around 200 persons graduate from vocational institutions to replace them.
The crises have weighed heavy on the economy. Still, the situation of the industry and the supplying technical trade look good so far.
Companies are investing in new production, which shows in the sales of machine tools and compressors, for example. Here the machines’ energy efficiency and electricity consumption have become key selection criteria. Therefore, the outlook for engineering works and mechanical engineering remains good. Furthermore, new energy solutions, especially the growing use of wind power, also increase the demand for Finnish industry and related technical trade.
Thanks to increased order volumes, the situation is expected to remain good until the end of the year. However, next year is still subject to speculation due to the developing recession.
Wärtsilä is a global leader in innovative technology and lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets.
Subcontracting presents the metal, electronics, plastics and rubber industries, industrial ICT solutions, as well as design and consulting within these fields. In three days, Finland's leading industrial event will offer visitors a unique overview of the industry's prospects and the future.
Event theme of 2023 is Globally Local.