BDG President Clemens Küpper opened the event with a clear message: Germany needs to show greater appreciation for traditional industrial production. The @BDG has become increasingly visible and politically active in recent years. Küpper credited the new federal government with good intentions in terms of fostering investment and restoring trust—and noted a noticeable improvement in sentiment across the industry.
This view was echoed by renowned economist Prof. Dr. Jens Südekum, who used his keynote to outline the key challenges facing Germany as an industrial location: accelerating deindustrialization, high energy costs, labor shortages, and geopolitical risks are all threatening competitiveness—particularly for small and medium-sized foundries. Südekum called for long-term planning security, faster permitting processes, and targeted investment in digitalization and energy efficiency. Only then can SMEs remain future-proof and continue playing their vital role in regional economies.
Daniel Rinkert, Member of the German Bundestag (SPD), added: “We must rebuild trust in politics—through bold, innovation-driven action.”
Dr. Marc Mateika (Meier Guss GmbH) confirmed the improving mood from the perspective of the foundry sector and, like Küpper, expressed hope for swift action on energy prices and the implementation of a competitive industrial electricity rate.
Around 400 participants created an energetic and collaborative atmosphere in Aachen, joined by leading suppliers from the foundry industry. The event proved an ideal platform for knowledge exchange and fresh momentum.
That momentum was also captured by Dr. Sebastian Tewes (BDG) in his compelling presentation on artificial intelligence. Under the title “Digitalization of Production Systems – Do We Need More Human or Artificial Intelligence?”, Tewes put forward a bold thesis: Human intelligence alone will no longer be enough—foundries must integrate AI to remain competitive.
Drawing parallels to past skepticism about computer technology, Tewes argued that AI will soon become standard across the industry. He identified four key drivers accelerating this shift:
- Global crises & supply chain disruptions
- Climate change & CO₂ pressures
- Skills shortages & demographic shifts
- Digital disruption
AI-based assistance systems and data-driven process optimization, he concluded, are essential for building resilient, efficient, and future-ready production environments.
Conclusion:
The German Foundry Day 2025 successfully combined technical know-how, economic insight, and political foresight. In a time of deep transformation, the event provided a vital space for networking—and sent a strong signal from the industry to policymakers and the public alike.
