Innovation and collaboration in focus at the opening ceremony of Elmia Subcontractor 2024

The fair began with an opening ceremony on the Main Stage by Elmia's CEO Agne Bengtsson. In his opening speech, he emphasized the importance of collaboration and meetings, in a time where the pace of change is high and interpersonal interactions are becoming fewer.

- We want to welcome both exhibitors and visitors to Elmia Subcontractor 2024. We clearly see that collaboration is crucial for the manufacturing industry in order to increase the demands on sustainability, competence and technical development that companies experience today. Together, we can maintain that the manufacturing industry is a strong cornerstone of our economy - which drives growth, innovation and creates jobs, said Agne Bengtsson, CEO of Elmia.

This was followed by a talk by keynote speaker Stefan Christiernin, Head of Engineering Research at Volvo Cars. He emphasized in his speech that only by collaborating and finding new ways to meet can the manufacturing industry adapt in the rapidly changing landscape that subcontractors find themselves in today.

- We must build strong value chains together! Over the past 100 years, Volvo cars has grown from a locally rooted company in Gothenburg to a global operation. We feel that the value of the value chain is a joint creation, from the production of new circular materials, to processing and tool makers - which provides a good value chain for everyone involved.

"We make it better together"

The fair's ambassadors, AnVa Industries and Adigo Drives, also participated in the opening, represented on stage by Per Andersson, CEO AnVa Industries, and Peter Mayer, CEO, Adigo Drives. They both shared their views on how they work with collaboration and innovation in their businesses, and during the fair. Peter Mayer said:

- We see Elmia Subcontractor as a meeting place and hub, where we meet both customers and suppliers. We work closely with our customers in everyday life to develop products and solutions, and here at the fair we can develop those relationships.

 Per Andersson filled in:

- We at AnVa Industries feel that Elmia Subcontractor gives us the opportunity to sense trends and see what is happening in the industry. Here we hold many high-quality conversations that give us information and leads for the future.

All of the industry – under one roof

During the opening of the fair, this year's theme, "Navigating Change Together", was a common thread in both conversations and lectures. Annika Cederfeldt, fair manager for Elmia Subcontractor, believes that the theme has been a unifying force in this year's work.

- For almost 50 years, Elmia Subcontractor has been a natural meeting place for companies to make new contacts, which we are proud of and keen to maintain. The large proportion of returning exhibitors and visitors testifies that Elmia Subcontractor is seen as an obvious arena for doing business. We know that the strength of the human meeting is irreplaceable for both innovations and business, so a call to all of you is to seize the opportunity and meet for real, said Annika Cederfeldt, trade fair manager for Elmia Subcontractor.

For almost 50 years, Elmia Subcontractor has gathered exhibitors and visitors from the manufacturing industry under one roof, to network, be inspired and do business. This year's fair is no exception. In the halls there are dedicated arenas for sustainability and competence where companies can meet to discuss the industry's most current issues. Visitors can also explore innovations within the InnoDex and Tech Arena, where new products and technical solutions are presented. This year, approximately 1,000 exhibitors from 30 countries are participating.