The Galician Automotive Sector experiences a difficult moment, as it happens with this industry in the national and international scope. This has been stated today by the President of CEAGA, Antonio Vega, whom after knowing the last sale figures published by ACEA (Fall of sales in August of Spain-41,3 %, Italy-26,4 %, England-18,6 %, Germany-10,4 %, France-7,1 % and Total EU-15,7 %) announced the intensification of the current activities and the creation of new lines of work of the Strategic Plan of the Cluster ” to face to the consequences of the current economic situation that affect the country, and that directly concerns a sector as sensitive as the automotive industry”.
The repercussion of the economic crisis in the volumes of vehicle sales, the increase of the costs (raw materials, energy, electricity, etc.) and the differential of the national inflation rate compared with the one for the EU, are some of the factors that concern the Galician Automotive Sector the most. “This very unfavourable situation adds even more exigency to our industry, which is on its own, highly competitive ”, emphasizes Antonio Vega. ”Nevertheless, the Galician Automotive Sector has demonstrated its strong aptitude to adapt to the different environments”, specifies Vega.
Before this situation, the Galician Cluster that nowadays is developing all the projects of the PESA, will intensify the deployment of the activities directed to improving the productivity of the sector. ”In any case, in the last years the sector has been in constant growth, and is the moment to consolidate what we have. Our efforts must be orientated towards the industrial excellence. The CEAGA Lean Production System, which already is applied in 26 companies, will allow us with the effort of all to reach for better levels of quality and costs ”, comments the President of CEAGA.
Opposite to the fall of the volume of sales of vehicles in Europe, which is our natural market, the sector waits to grow on new markets and bet for the growth of Morocco and Russia, among others.
Antonio Vega has referred also to the need to rely on the support of the administration. ”We wait for increased sensibility towards the sector and that from the administration the necessary measures are taken, to contribute along with all the related players, to overcome this difficult stage ”. The president of the Cluster asked for support for 3 big projects of the Cluster (Logistic Platform, Automotive Education Centre, CTAG-2); likewise he reminded the need to improve the logistic infrastructures and of communications, and not to forget the chronicle lacking in industrial competitive soil. Another priority line is the increase of the qualification and the competition of our human resources, in all the levels, according to new need organizational and technological.
In any case, the President of CEAGA believes that the Galician Automotive Sector is prepared, though he warns that ” There will be companies that survive and end up reinforced and others which current structure should be re-measured, and even some whose continuity could be at stake”. Vega underlined that every company confronts this situation in a particular form, but he has launched today a new challenge to the set of the sector: ”It is the moment to unite the efforts of all, administration, companies and workers, through the route of competitiveness, so that the adverse effects of this deep crisis are the fewer and shortest as possible, and therefore be able to recover as soon as possible the path of growth.”
For further information, please do not hesitate to contact us:
Abel Tintos
abel.tintos@ceaga.com
Tel. 986 213 790