Hope springs eternal

The figures also show that industrial workers are more concerned about their job than the other groups. They wonder more whether they will be able to continue working until the age of 65 (77% vs. 60%) and they are more afraid of losing their job (48% vs. 42%). 

However, the greatest concern across all socio-demographic groups is the impact of the ongoing economic crisis. This apparently weighs heavily on our minds and we therefore need positive news and optimism. 

In this foreword, I would therefore like to mention a few hopeful signs. During the BEMAS Maintenance Debate at the last edition of the easyFairs MAINTENANCE fair in Antwerp, the various panel members from the industry confirmed that they feel that there is some room for industrial investments and projects in certain sectors again. 

Hope was also the central theme of the BEMAS anniversary celebration on 20 March. One of the guest speakers was Mr Didier Herbert, head of the Enterprise Competitiveness, Industry & Growth Policies Directorate of the Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry within the European Commission. He expressed Europe's ambition to increase the share of industry in the European economy from 15% to 20% by 2020.

Europe is currently preparing a whole series of measures to initiate and support this growth. The renewed political attention, both at the European level and at the regional level (just think of New Industrial Entrepreneurship within Flanders In Action, and the Marshall Plan in Wallonia), must surely be met with applause within our industrial community. 

But ultimately, this growth will not have to be realised by the policy makers, but must originate within our own organisations. As a maintenance community, we have little impact on factors such as energy costs and labour costs, but we have all the more influence on energy consumption and the efficiency and effectiveness of employees and machinery. In this way, maintenance plays a crucial role in strengthening the competitiveness of our companies.

I am firmly convinced that maintenance can be an important catalyst for the industrial renaissance in Europe, through its contribution in the following key areas:

1. Innovation from a star industrial fabric  -  A locally anchored network of production, engineering and service providers must be maintained. The cross-fertilisation that is stimulated by this is the ideal incubation chamber for innovations from which the industry of the future can grow.
2. Availability of technical talent  -  The shortage of technically trained personnel is felt worldwide. The availability of technical (maintenance) talent is increasingly playing a role in investment decisions. Therefore, we must urgently continue to work on high-quality technical education in function of the needs of the industry.
3. Transformation of the existing assets  -  The installed base in our region is ageing. This need not be a disadvantage, but in order to maintain the competitiveness of our companies, it is necessary to take the necessary technical measures to extend the life span of installations. Thus, both through lower investment costs and less impact on the environment, maintenance and asset management contribute to higher reliability, more (energy) efficiency and the production of innovative products.

As technical managers, it is our 'damn' duty to believe in a positive future for the industry in our country. Let us seize the opportunities offered by the industrial renaissance with both hands and start making it a reality in our company today.

Wim Vancauwenberghe
Maintenance Evangelist and Director of BEMAS vzw

PS: Anyone who wants to read more about the Industrial Renaissance can request a free copy of the book Industrial Renaissance in North-West Europe: the key role of Maintenance and Asset Management from BEMAS via office@bemas.org.