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Perspectives Plastics Industry
Petri Ven (Secretary-General Federplast.be)
Peter Perremans (Deputy Secretary-General Federplast.be)
Sustainability – Competitivity: a win – win?
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Challenges: High labor and energy costs are a competitive disadvantage for the Belgian plastic converter
Challenges: Skilled labor forces are essential to remain competitive
• Assessment of access to skilled labor forces
• Negative image of the sector
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Challenges: Increasing cost due to regulations & fragmentation of European market
Challenges: Competition is becoming global
• Direct competitors are still other European converters
• However, more and more competition from low cost countries such as:
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Challenges: Supply of raw materials is becoming more volatile
• Supply basic polymers becomes more volatile
• Belgium is net exporter of recyclate
Challenges for our Competitiviness
� High labor and energy costs� Shortage of skilled labor� Increasing costs regulatory
framework� Fragmentation of European
market� More and more competition
from low cost countries such as Turkey, Asia/China, Middle East
� Supply of raw materials is becoming more volatile
Challenges for Competitiveness
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Strategic levers to maintain competitiveness: Plastic converters go for efficient processes and skilled labor
Strategic levers: Plastic converters go for innovation and quality to increase their competitiveness
• Innovation in the field of:
• Process
• Product
• Business Model
Business
Model
Product
Process
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Strategic levers: Plastic converters go for customer proximity to differentiate themselves from low cost suppliers
Strategic levers: Plastic converters go for sustainability
• Grey text:
• Blue text
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Strategic levers: Plastic converters ask public authorities to create a supportive framework
• Plastic converters ask from the different public authorities:
• a lower administrative burden
• harmonization of the regulatory framework conditions within Europe
• the creation of a level playing field through the organisation of market surveillance
• political measures that stimulate sustainability and circular economy and that safeguard the competitiveness (e.g.: green deals,…)
Strategic levers and challenges to our competitiveness
� High labor and energy costs� Shortage of skilled labor� Increasing costs regulatory
framework� Fragmentation of European
market� More and more competition
from low cost countries such as Turkey, Asia/China, Middle East
� Supply of raw materials is becoming more volatile
Challenges for Competitiveness
� Focus on efficient processes� Focus on skilled labor� Focus on innovation and quality� Customer proximity as
differentiating factor� Focus on sustainability and
circular economy� Demand to public authorities to
create a supportive framework
Strategic levers to maintain competitiveness