Cristina Campo (BEC): “The companies participating in BIEMH are already taking steps to make Industry 5.0 a reality”

AR.- The slogan for the next BIEMH is "Are you ready?" What should exhibitor companies and visitors to this year's BIEMH be ready for?

Cristina Campo.-  We created a very direct claim, so that people are ready for an industrial and technological show, with large machines in operation as the protagonists. Along with the slogan, we also designed the image: a large red question mark, to arouse the curiosity of leaders and professionals in the sector, and to encourage them to take part in this unique event for the industry. The claim and the image show the essence of the fair as a destination point that opens the doors to technology and knowledge, and as a meeting point with the opportunities of the future. This is what visitors to the 32nd edition of the BIEMH will find.

AR.- The industrial world is moving at great speed towards concepts linked to artificial intelligence, sustainability and a people-centred industry 5.0, how is BIEMH aligned with these different trends?

C.C.- The industrial sector is an engine of progress and evolution for society. In terms of technology, undoubtedly, but also in terms of sustainability, by seeking efficiency in production systems in order to be increasingly more environmentally friendly. The weight of industry in society is so important, covering so many aspects of our lives, that the challenges are enormous, but so is the capacity we have to have a positive influence, if we take on the commitment in the right way.

If we focus on the technical and technological aspects, the companies participating in the BIEMH are world leaders in technological and process innovation. They are companies that are already talking about Industry 5.0 and taking the necessary steps to make it a reality; a model of industry centred on people, as you have rightly said. And as part of this progress, the inclusion of AI in processes is already a reality. The offer we will see at BIEMH is the result of this evolution.

AR.- In the presentations made in Barcelona, Madrid and Bilbao, you stressed that you are going to focus more on robotics and automation. How will this initiative be reflected at the fair?

C.C.- As a leading trade fair, one of our objectives is to be a platform where we can showcase advances and promote the steps that are to come. And while it is true that robotics, automation and digitalisation have always been present in the BIEMH exhibition offer, this year they will be, together with large machines, the undisputed protagonists of the fair. These are three essential sectors for improving competitiveness, sectors that stand out for always being at the forefront of technology and which, at this edition, will be presenting important innovations and advances.

Robotics, automation and digitalization are going to be, along with large machines, undisputed protagonists of the fair

That is why, as part of the parallel programme, this year we will be offering, for the first time, the Automation & Robotics Tour, together with the Innovation Tour and the Big Machines Tour, and a robotics demonstration area. In addition, there will once again be Automation & Robotics Talks, as in previous editions.

AR.- One of the most relevant incentives is the Hosted Buyers' Programme. How is the interaction of the fair with buyers of Tier 1 vehicle and component manufacturers evolving?

C.C.- The Hosted Buyer's Program is an element that differentiates BIEMH from other industrial fairs. Having the presence of quality users and buyers who need and seek competitive solutions is very important for the exhibiting firms and for the sector. For this reason, the organization maintains a very fluid and active relationship with automotive sector associations and with end users and purchasing managers, both national and international. A clear example of this is the presence of Mexico, this year, as a Guest Country. It is a country in which the automotive industry has a lot of weight, so we will have the presence of buyers, representatives, clusters and automotive associations from several states.

We maintain a very fluid and active relationship with automotive sector associations and with end users and buyers, both national and international

From the organization of the fair we work hard to attend to all the needs of the user sector, in this case automotive, and to respond to them both in the exhibition area and in the conferences, through keynotes, round tables, presentations...

AR.- How do you work to fully explore synergies with increasingly consolidated formats such as BeDigital, Addit3D and WorkInn to the maximum of their possibilities?

C.C.- BIEMH is a machine tool and advanced manufacturing fair, but when we organize it, we take the entire industry as a framework. For this reason, we also try to respond to specialized sectors with great influence, such as digitalization, additive technology and 3D printing. They are transversal sectors that, in addition, have an important weight in the automotive industry.

The synergies that occur at BIEMH are in every sense: between visitors, exhibiting companies and between visiting and exhibiting firms. They are natural synergies. And BIEMH, being the scenario that facilitates these contacts, must offer the technologies and services that offer the necessary solutions to all parties.

AR.- The promotional campaign has been extended to more than 140 countries. Can we talk about a fully globalized edition of BIEMH or are there still international initiatives to explore?

C.C.- Our objective is to grow and evolve in the direction that the sector needs. We work to be more global and be able to offer more personalized solutions in increasingly broader sectors, to all industry profiles. In this context, there are always new initiatives and actions to explore. We have ideas to be more efficient and have a closer relationship with the countries we approach. That is why we are continually traveling and meeting with associations, clusters, entities, institutions and end clients.

The most important thing is that we always go hand in hand with the sector, which is the one who sets our priorities and who we have to offer exactly what they need. There are priority countries, which historically have had a very important weight, such as the US, Germany, Italy and, increasingly, Mexico. That is why we work so that these countries have us as their reference in terms of advanced manufacturing. And if the sector considers that there are new interesting countries, which until now have not been so involved in advanced manufacturing but now are, we start working on them.

Each edition we go further, with a greater number of interlocutors and key players in all countries, and with more direct treatment and a closer relationship.

AR.- Finally, what transversal content that involves different sectors such as automotive can we find in the BIEMH Talks?

C.C.- The topics discussed in the BIEMH Talks, in addition to being highly topical, are chosen with the intention of providing answers and solutions to as many sectors, profiles and clients as possible. We will talk about cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, digital twins, Automation and Robotics, Digitalization, the development of skills in Additive Manufacturing... These are very cross-cutting topics and many of them, such as Additive Manufacturing, for example, are of great importance in the manufacturing sector. automotive.

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Interview published in AutoRevista 2.390