Óscar Barranco, Director of Advanced Manufacturing: “We attract key executives and professionals”

In a year of double commitment in Barcelona and Madrid, Advanced Manufacturing continues to work to constantly and continuously align itself with the needs of the industrial world. This is what Óscar Barranco explains in this interview prior to the Madrid edition.

AutoRevista.- By the time this interview is published, the first edition of Advanced Manufacturing Barcelona will have taken place, what is the reason for this strategy of two events so close in time, and what is the prospect of combining both cities in the coming years?

Óscar Barranco.- The strategy of holding two Advanced Manufacturing events so close in time, one in Barcelona and the other in Madrid, is due firstly to Easyfairs’ intention to further strengthen its presence in the industrial sector and technological innovation in Spain, and secondly to the fact that Catalan industry has different circumstances: although it is true that we have a significant number of Catalan exhibitors in Madrid, the percentage of visiting companies and professionals is not so high, which has indicated that we should take AM to Catalonia.

In other words, if exhibitors from Madrid and the central area want to do business in Catalonia, they should also exhibit in Barcelona, which was held in September and served as an extension of the Madrid show, whose fifteenth edition is scheduled for 15 and 16 November. In addition, we have taken advantage of the time when companies tend to make purchasing forecasts for the coming year, which usually coincides with the last quarter, allowing them to adjust their budgets in advance.

In terms of the expected results, although the Barcelona show was the first edition, it was well attended by exhibitors, which is a sign of the great interest in the event. Specifically, there were 166 exhibiting companies, almost 3,000 unique visitors and an estimated economic impact for the region of 5.4 million euros.

For the next edition in Madrid, we expect to exceed last year’s figures, which had more than 600 exhibitors, attracted more than 12,000 unique visitors and enabled 70,000 commercial networking interactions, consolidating the event as the benchmark meeting point for the advanced manufacturing industry.

The prospect is to continue with both editions, keeping the one in Madrid on an annual basis and the one in Barcelona on a biennial basis, providing opportunities for both local companies and visitors from different regions of Spain, as well as from outside our country.

The prospect is to continue with both editions, with the Madrid event being held annually and the Barcelona event every two years

AR – After the turbulent period, especially between 2020 and 2022, what do you see in companies continuing to rely on events such as Advanced Manufacturing Madrid and Barcelona to boost their business?

O.B.- From EasyFairs' perspective, we have seen a trend towards normalisation in the industrial sector after the complex period we have experienced between 2020 and 2022 due to the pandemic and other economic challenges. While full normalisation may not have been achieved in terms of turnover, we see a clear increase in industry activity and volume.

Companies continue to rely on events such as Advanced Manufacturing Madrid to boost their business for a number of reasons. Firstly, events like this offer a unique platform to present and learn about the latest innovations, products and services in the industrial sector. They also facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing between companies, which can lead to new business opportunities and the development of strategic alliances. In a changing and highly technological environment, these fairs are essential to keep abreast of the trends and innovative solutions that will drive the future of the industry. . In terms of environmental impact, the fact of concentrating an infinite number of meetings between supply and demand in a single space and over two days saves companies multiple meetings and journeys, which means a significant reduction in environmental impact.

AR.- What thematic aspects will be the main focus of the talks and conferences taking place on 15 and 16 November?

O.B.- The talks and conferences scheduled for 15 and 16 November at Advanced Manufacturing Madrid will address a wide range of topics related to the manufacturing industry, innovation and sustainability. This year we have expanded our content offerings at Tech Congress 4.0 and have two rooms dedicated to conferences and one to training workshops, which were a success last year. 

In the hall 8 room, sponsored by Dassault Systèmes, we will be dealing with the latest trends in robotics and automation, with two round tables. One organised by Hisparob, with the participation of the companies GDM, GMV and Schunk; and another organised by AER, with the participation of ABB and KUKA among other companies, in which success stories with the end customer will be presented.

There will also be a round table organised by EIT Manufacturing to discuss the potential of European collaborative projects in the industrial sector, with the presence of the starup Linqcase, Mondragon Corporation and Oesía.

Additive manufacturing will also take centre stage in our congress programme with a panel organised by 3D Natives; and we will once again have the Surface Treatment Conference organised by AIAS.

On the other hand, during the afternoon of the first day, the awards ceremony of the 2nd Advanced Manufacturing Awards will take place, sponsored by Emka and Maquinser, which this year have almost tripled the number of nominations compared to the previous year.

The hall in Hall 10 will be dedicated exclusively to content related to composites and advanced materials. On the first day we will have presentations by Aimplas, Materplat and AOC Resins. On the second day we will be holding the IV Composite Materials Conference organised by AEMAC.

AR.- What continues to be the presence of decision-makers from the automotive and mobility sectors at MetalMadrid, Robomática and Composites?

O.B.- The presence of decision-makers from companies in the automotive and mobility sectors continues to be notable at our MetalMadrid, Robomática and Composites events. These industries are fundamental in today's economy and require advanced technological solutions, which is why we attract key executives and professionals looking to keep abreast of the latest developments and establish strategic alliances for the growth and innovation of their companies.

Specifically, at Advanced Manufacturing Madrid, 44% of the attendees held the position of department director, purchasing or production manager, chief technology officer, operations or product manager, or quality manager. Their attendance reflects the diversity of management roles and functional areas involved in decision-making within companies.

In addition, a quarter of the attendees were CEOs and Managing Directors, demonstrating the active participation of the top leaders of these companies. This underlines the relevance of these events as places for strategic decision-making and high-level networking.

The presence of decision-makers from companies in the automotive and mobility sectors continues to be significant in our events

AR.- How does Advanced Manufacturing Madrid continue to broaden its technological spectrum by embracing new trends such as advances in artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, Metaverse...?

O.B.- At Advanced Manufacturing Madrid we are committed to the technological vanguard and constant innovation. That is why, edition after edition, we are expanding our technological spectrum to include emerging trends, among which, of course, is Artificial Intelligence. These technologies are transforming the manufacturing industry, and through conferences, exhibitions and demonstrations, we offer our attendees the opportunity to explore and adopt these cutting-edge technologies.

In the congress programme we will address the implementation of Artificial Intelligence in industry with a presentation from the KITT4SME project, empowering SMEs to introduce this technology into their production systems.

In addition, we will have some of the most cutting-edge companies in the market in these technologies in our Connected area, which will bring solutions and software applied to Big Data, Digital Twins, Artificial Intelligence, among others.

AR.- What is the international projection of the fair in its closest geographical environment (France, Portugal, North Africa...)?

O.B.- Advanced Manufacturing Madrid is an event that mainly serves local markets, but the growth of the event in recent years projects a booming international presence edition after edition.In 2022, visitors from many different countries attended, demonstrating a strong international reach and a wide geographical diversity of participants.These include Portugal, Italy, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the USA, China and Argentina.

AR.- How do you expect to continue to improve in the coming years in order to maintain the level of acceptance? Any ideas of expansion to another Spanish city?

O.B.- To keep improving in the coming years, we are focused on continuous innovation and adapting to the changing needs of the industry.We plan to strengthen our partnerships with leading companies and industry associations to deliver a high quality programme of events. 

As mentioned earlier, this year we will be repeating the training workshops we introduced last year, which were very well received by our visitors. With free admission, fair attendees will be able to register for a practical welding workshop and an additive manufacturing workshop sponsored by Maquinser. There will also be a workshop on robotics and another on occupational risk prevention organised by Femeval and Valmetal.

In terms of the exhibition area, it is essential for us to listen to our audience and adapt to the demands of professionals. Year after year we are adding new areas dedicated to all fields of the sector to continue to offer our visitors a 360º view of the industry.

For now we have the Surface, Additive, Connected, Product Testing & Quality Control and Smart Plastics areas. As a new feature of the 15th edition, we have created the Composites Agora, a new space designed for companies to showcase their products in a unique way. Companies offering solutions for this sector will have the opportunity to meet the brands that demand their services in an exclusive space with networking opportunities during the two days of the event.

Among the rest of the activities we offer our visitors, the Tours will be back, guided tours in which participants have the opportunity to get to know the most innovative products at the fair in just 1 hour. These tours are themed and one of them will focus on machine tools, so that visitors can see the machinery on display at the event in operation.

As for expansion to other Spanish cities, for the moment, we are focused on maximising the impact of our current editions in Madrid and Barcelona, and on delivering exceptional value to our community of business and industry professionals.

Lea esta entrevista en castellano

Interview published in AutoRevista 2.384