Organized by CEFAMOL within the scope of the 'Engineering & Tooling from Portugal' project, and supported by Compete 2020, ten companies took part in the collective participation of this year's edition of the 'France Innovation Plasturgie' (FIP) fair, which took place in Lyon, France , between the 5th and 8th of April. In the end, the participants classified the event as “positive”, having noticed improvements in the activity of the plastics industry in that region, which allowed them to establish good contacts and create good prospects for the future, reveals Patrício Tavares, from CEFAMOL, who accompanied the event.
CR Moulds, Ecotool, Fozmoldes, Itecmo, Moldes RP, Moliporex, Planimolde, PMM, TJ Moldes and Vipex resumed, with this event, contact with some of the customers they already have in that country, consolidating their presence and opening doors to the possibility of new business.
Patrício Tavares explained that this fair is the most relevant for the value chain of the plastics industry held in France this year. The event is held at a time when the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic are more controlled, allowing companies to contact potential customers again, in person, reinforcing their direct approach to the French market.
And, he emphasizes, “this turned out to be a good option because we found a dynamic market, mainly due to the security that one feels, with this period of calm of the pandemic”. As an example, he said that vaccination in France has very high levels and the mask is practically abolished in all places, whether outdoors or indoors.
“Many of the mould companies have been doing business for many years in France, which is, for our sector, the third market in terms of importance”, he recalled.
Promising visits
This fair intends to assume itself, according to the organization, as an emblematic and reference event for the plastics industry, having brought together around 800 exhibitors, mostly suppliers of that industry, including Portuguese mouldmakers.
The visitors – around ten thousand, according to the organizers – were mainly representatives of plastics companies. The event was divided into four essential areas: technologies and services; circular economy solutions; new materials; and innovations that meet new industry challenges.
The Lyon area, explained Patrício Tavares, is characterized by a strong industrial dynamic, with the location of several industries, including many plastic transformers. A large part of these already know the Portuguese mould sector. Therefore, the national companies present at the fair received interesting contacts, from areas as diverse as the automotive, medical and pharmaceutical industries or domestic utilities. “With a strong national and regional component, the fair did not attract a large number of foreign visitors, but the visits that the mould companies received turned out to be quite attractive and promising”, he pointed out.
Initially scheduled to take place in June 2021, this fair was eventually postponed and rescheduled to the first days of April this year, due to the pandemic. The next edition will take place between June 11 and 14, 2024 and CEFAMOL expects to be present again to support the international promotion of the sector.
