Last Thursday, more than 70 people enjoyed a pleasant evening together to mark the ACICAE AUTOMOTIVE AWARDS 2008, given out to people and organizations that have done outstanding work in the automotive industry in the past year. A simple, unpretentious way of acknowledging the contribution individuals make to the industry, the awards are gaining acceptance and are increasingly seen as symbol of value in the sector.

This year’s award for an outstanding personal contribution went to Francisco García Sanz. The award to a Company located in the Basque Country was given to PIERBURG, while the Vehicle Maker award went to MITSUBISHI FUSO. Finally, the Press and Media Award went to EXPANSION. A most impressive roll call, for sure, and one that’s clearly going to get bigger in the next few years.

One of the most unusual features of the automotive industry is the lack of recognition. A whole range of people and organizations are working non-stop just to make the European automotive industry more competitive. And yet neither the authorities or society in general tend to reward work done in an industry that, in terms of management, quality, technology, jobs, taxes and so on, is of vital importance to today’s economy.

In the Basque Country, we are making a modest contribution towards changing the trend. For the last three years, the ACICAE Automotive Awards have acknowledged time, effort and industriousness that otherwise almost always remain anonymous. In previous editions, awards have gone to individuals like Xabier Etxeberria, Operational System Director at GKN Driveline Driveshafts and José María Aldekoa, former Director of the Mondragón Automotive Division, and firms like Mercedes Benz Vitoria, TRW, Microdeco and GUREAK. Not forgetting, of course, the key role of the media: trade magazines like AutoRevista and publishing houses like Grupo Vocento have also been singled out for recognition. And in just a few days we’ll know who’s taken the latest awards.

For the third consecutive year, ACICAE will be organizing BAI-Basque Automotive Industry, an event that brings together some 150 professionals from the automotive industry. This year’s event is to be held in Vitoria on 10 and 11 July, the previous ones having been hosted by San Sebastián and Bilbao.
The important thing about BAI is that it gets the Basque automotive cluster as a whole to analyze new trends in the industry together and to encourage rewarding cooperating between participants. That’s certainly how it’s been up to now. Divided into lectures, conferences and debating panels, it is also acknowledged by the experts themselves, who are drawn mostly from local business, although with a sprinkling of guest speakers. This year, internationalization as a competitive factor is the keynote theme.

Events of this kind are clearly necessary. Taking some highly qualified professionals off to a hotel for a couple of days to analyze issues of interest together is no bad thing. However many problems the automotive industry has, it’s a good idea occasionally to stop and think about things. That’s what happened here. Issues like innovation, technology, purchasing and logistics were all covered in depth and with genuine rigorousness. More, please.

Things are certainly tough at the moment. The current transport strike is one more challenge for the automotive industry. It doesn’t seem reasonable for a group of professionals, however justified their claims are, to cause so much damage systematically to other sectors. A greater balance needs to be struck between private and general interests. It’s just as well the situation seems to be heading towards a solution and some much-needed common sense is being applied. Better for everyone that way. As well as being absurd, the situation is untenable. As if the industry needed any more challenges!

Times change and so does ACICAE. In a globalized world like the automotive industry, you can’t afford to ignore the new communication tools like the Internet and its associated technologies. The web site has been remodeled to make it clearer and more attractive. This blog has also been added as another communication tool. Please note that blog entries will be modest affairs, dealing with whatever seems interesting at the moment and sharing it with the rest of the Basque automotive industry. Oh, and please be patient. It’ll take a while before the site is fully operative and working properly. Just a question of time.