The European Seals and Gaskets Association (EUSGA) held its annual conference in May this year in Brescia, Italy – more commonly known as the European Rubber Valley. It was a fantastic event, with record attendance from both Member Companies and Manufacturing Partners.
For those less familiar with EUSGA, I am pleased to share our Vision, Mission and Values:
Vision
Collaborative networking of companies exchanging insights and inspiring solutions for individual businesses and the long-term benefit of the sealing industry.
Mission
To establish, and continuously develop, a respected consortium of leading European sealing solution companies as Member Companies, complemented by innovative Manufacturing Partners, Technical Specialists and Industry Authorities. Our focus includes:
• European market trends and global influences
• Understanding industry technical developments and innovations
• Strategic challenges for the future
• Gaining knowledge and experience from member company best practice
• Association and networking across Member Companies and Manufacturing Partners
Values
Open communication, respect, friendship.
It was clear throughout the conference that while our member companies are European-based, global influences, such as tariffs, geopolitical tensions and economic shifts, are directly shaping market demand within member countries.
During the event, we held speed-brainstorming sessions to identify areas of key future importance, and scoring highly from members was the need to continuously develop its future skill-base to provide strong technical solutions supported by the right products and high service levels.
The utilisation of AI is also becoming more widespread, enhancing marketing communications, data analysis and operational efficiency. At the same time, members expressed understandable caution, particularly regarding the protection of confidential data.
Sustainability was a high-priority topic, rightly so! While many companies are making strong progress in analysing and reducing their operational footprint (Scopes 1 and 2), there is increasing emphasis on understanding and reducing product carbon footprint, including complete lifecycle data.
Our Manufacturing Partners contributed significantly to the value of the event, participating in an excellent Table-Top Exhibition, followed by a series of engaging company presentations.
Looking ahead with anticipation to 2026, the next EUSGA Conference will take place in June, when we will be delighted to welcome both Member Companies and Manufacturing Partners to the UK.
Andy Cleaver,
EUSGA President