Xavi Guerrero Pich

Ferran de la Fuente Pi
Francesc Castellvell Baqu

MANUFUTURE: A VISION FOR 2020

Why manufuture?
With the objective of being the most competitive and dynamic
knowledge-based economy in the world, the European Union invited some
of the most important executives in the manufacturing sector in order to set
the guidelines for the future strategy in the manufacturing market.
One of the ways of setting this basis is the creation of the European
Research Area (ERA), in which some useful advices are discussed among the
members of the organism. One of the examples is the establishment of new
business models which must have specific features in order to contribute to
the manufuture strategy.
The linking between the demand and the supply could provide enough
information for the business in order to create new technologies (more
efficient), something which, combined with the sharing of knowledge among
the different sectors, would define work procedures in order to take into
consideration economic, social and technological needs.
European manufacturing activity today represents approximately 22% of
the EU gross national product (GNP). This is thanks to the EU leadership in
many important sectors of the manufacturing activity. But now, this
leadership is becoming threatened by other developed economies and the
fact that manufacturing in the more traditional sectors is increasingly taking
in the low-wage economies.
Manufacturing in Europe today
A diverse Community
The problem of the EU is that there are marked differences between
individual EU Member States, which work against the progress of the
developed economies of the Union and hamper the manufacturing activity
of the EU.
In 2004, the EU absorbed a group of countries with relative low-wage
economies, the ten central and east European (CEEC), which account for
about 11% of total European manufacturing production. However, the
manufacturing productivity of the ten CEEC has growth by more than six

Xavi Guerrero Pich

Ferran de la Fuente Pi
Francesc Castellvell Baqu
percentage points per annum over recent years, and the process of
productivity convergence is bound to continue.
It can be envisaged that, in the shorter term at least, the transfer of more
labor-intensive production to the CEEC could help to redress their present
situation, while preventing the migration of employment opportunities
beyond Europes boundaries.
European strengths and weaknesses
Strengths

European industry is modern and competitive in many areas.

Leading research areas.
Great part of European Businesses are SMEs, which typically exhibit
greater flexibility, agility, innovative spirit and entrepreneurship than

more monolithic organizations.

Europe has taken on board sustainable development.
Differences between individual Member States brings a diversity of
viewpoints and skills that can be coordinated to produce novel
situations.

Weaknesses

Investments in ICT and new technologies is still too low.

Innovation activity is too low.

Moreover, and to build on these strengths, to fight the weaknesses and

turn them into opportunities for growth, the EU needs to:
1. Continue to invest in research and innovation.
2. Capitalize on its enabling technologies.
3. Protect discoveries and intellectual property.
4. Develop framework conditions that stimulate innovation.
5. Companies, in particular SMEs need to significantly enhance their
capability to pull through innovative technologies to assist in their move to
high-value added innovative product market strategies.

Xavi Guerrero Pich

Ferran de la Fuente Pi
Francesc Castellvell Baqu

The manufuture approach

In order to adapt the manufacturing sector to the new conditions and
necessities, four different scenarios can be classified. From the ones more
centralised and regarding local production, to new business models which
base their fundamentals on the leadership in technologies.
To cover the different scenarios, it is necessary to innovate in the
manufacture environment, and changes can occur in six different areas:

From resources to knowledge

The fact of not focusing the businesses on the product cost but on the
added value of each product can head the sector to a more economical use
of the necessary materials and energy.

From linearity to complexity

It is necessary to review the structure of the current companies. The

linearity and the chain structure must be replaced by another one where
all the processes are connected and interact between them.

From individual to system

Many times it has been demonstrated that working in isolation is not so

beneficial for a company than working as a team with other business of the
sector. The competitiveness as a sector instead of as a company could
provide high added value to the product which are manufactured.

From mono to trans disciplinary

Multidisciplinary processes are more efficient than those which only take
profit of one of the abilities of the company, in order to improve the value
and the utility of the product.

From macro to nano-scale

Electronics are becoming smaller every day, and the importance of

adapting the products to the new technologies are one of the keys for the
future success.

Xavi Guerrero Pich

Ferran de la Fuente Pi
Francesc Castellvell Baqu
From top-down to bottom-up production
It is becoming very common to replace the strategy of evaluating the
whole product and then every single part of it, from another one which
studies every component in order to finally evaluate the product for
achieving the best possible.
Creating the climate for success
The main thrust of the MANUFUTURE initiative is to promote intelligent
and advanced concepts of competitive and sustainable manufacturing that
speed up the rate of industrial transformation and secure a major share of
world manufacturing output in an increasingly competitive knowledgedriven global economy.
Innovation needs to be encouraged. Traditional industries cannot simply
be expected to abandon established practices and bring in the new. Without
appropriate fiscal encouragement and financial support, this transition
becomes uncertain. Political leaders must take the initiative in establishing
framework conditions that motivate individuals and enterprises.
Secondly, manufacturing in 2020 will be required to provide solutions
meeting new societal needs and the demands of an increasingly ageing
public, while innovation will require completely new sets of skills. Questions
of ethics, health and safety all assume high priority in the creation of a
sustainable economy.
Furthermore, stricter environmental and safety regulation will inevitably
lead to changes in manufacturing, stimulating the adoption of energysaving, resource-saving, eco-friendly and cleaner technologies, being
necessary to meet the new requirements without loss of competitive
advantage.
Regarding to the research community, new ways must be found to
promote greater interactivity and parallel innovation by breaking down
barriers between partners, giving individual researchers the mobility to
contribute their expertise wherever it is most needed.
Education has to play a key role as well. Schools and universities must be
encouraged to provide the appropriate types of education and training to
develop the skills needed by new generations of knowledge workers.

Xavi Guerrero Pich

Ferran de la Fuente Pi
Francesc Castellvell Baqu
Development of educational curricula has not kept pace with either the
growing complexity of industry or the economy, and even less with the rapid
development of new technologies.
Finally, it is very important support the development of networked and
easily accessible research, technological development and innovation (RTDI)
infrastructures.

Manufuture strategy
The goal of MANUFUTURE is to create a common understanding and set
the priorities of the manufacturing future, and include them in the European
framework. The multiperspective approach which is planned for the
organism include different topics, which will provide an overall database for
the stakeholders.
Building a world-class R&D infrastructure is something important for
Manufuture, which in turn implies the creation of an integrated knowledgesharing. Teaching new methods headed to tomorrows workers will also
contribute to increase the awareness of the society regarding new career
opportunities.
In conclusion, the manufacture sector depends not only on todays
companies, but also on the people who will take the lead in the near future.
Therefore, the strategy of today will be the success of tomorrow.