ISTMA
WHO WE ARE
ISTMA Europe is the unified voice of the European tooling, die, and mould-making sectors, representing the continent’s leading national trade associations. As the technological bedrock of European manufacturing, our network of highly specialized SME’s safeguards industrial sovereignty and strategic supply chains.
We drive regional cooperation, champion a fair global level playing field, and secure the high-value expertise and employment essential to Europe’s future.
ISTMA EUROPE MEMBERS WHO WE ARE A UNITED INDUSTRIAL NETWORK
REPRESENTING EUROPE’S MANUFACTURING CORE.
AUSTRIA
KC – PLASTICS CLUSTER
Kunststoff-Cluster
Business Upper Austria - OÖ Wirtschaftsagentur GmbH
Hafenstraße 47-51
CZECH REPUBLIC
TOOL FACTORIES ASSOCIATION CZECH REPUBLIC
Údolní 409/54
CZ-602 00 Brno ESTONIA
ESTONIAN SPECIAL TOOLING ASSOCIATION
Kopli 5 10412, Tallinn
FINLAND
THE FEDERATION OF FINNISH TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRIES
Etelaranta 10
FI-00130 Helsinki
GERMANY
VDWF
Gerberwiesen 3
D-88477 Schwendi
GERMANY
VDMA
Lyoner Strasse 18
D-60528 Frankfurt/Main
ITALY
UNIONE COSTRUTTORI ITALIANI STAMPI E ATTREZZATURE DI PRECISIONE (UCISAP)
V.le Fulvio Testi 128 20092 Cinisello Balsamo, Milano
POLAND
BYDGOSZCZ INDUSTRIAL CLUSTER TOOL VALLEY
Bydgoskich Przemysłowców 6 85-862 Bydgoszcz
PORTUGAL
ASSOCIAÇÃO NACIONAL DA INDÚSTRIA DE MOLDES (CEFAMOL)
Centro Empresarial da Marinha Grande Rua de Portugal, Lote 18 - Fração A 2430-028 Marinha Grande
SLOVENIA
TECOS – SLOVENIAN TOOL AND DIE DEVELOPMENT CENTER
Kidričeva ulica 25 SI-3000 Celje
SPAIN
FEAMM – FEDERACIÓN ESPAñOLA DE ASOCIACIONES EMPRESARIALES DE MOLDISTAS Y MATRICEROS
Blasco Ibañez, 127 46022 Valencia
SWITZERLAND
SWISSMEM
Pfingstweidstrasse 102, P.O. Box
CH-8037 Zurich
TüRKIYE
TOOL MANUFACTURERS’ ASSOCIATION OF TüRKIYE
Alaaddinbey Mah. Pazar Cad. Sera Plaza No: 29D Nilüfer/BURSA
UNITED KINGDOM
CONFEDERATION OF BRITISH METALFORMING (CBM)
National Metalforming Centre
47 Birmingham Road
West Bromwich
West Midlands, B70 6PY
100% of cast, pressed, stamped, or injection moulded parts depend on Tooling, Die, and Mould-making (TDM).
NO PRODUCT WITHOUT TOOLING
Toolmaking is the foundation of European manufacturing sovereignty; without moulds and tooling, industrial-scale production is impossible. Strategic sectors, from automotive and aerospace to defence and medical devices, rely directly on European toolmakers to transform innovation into tangible, competitive products.
As a critical industrial backbone powered by thousands of highly specialised SME’s, this sector does more than drive the economic value chain: it anchors technological know-how, sustains regional economies, and secures highly skilled employment across the Member States.
COMPLEX PRODUCTS REQUIRE
HIGH-PRECISION TOOLS
Advanced tooling is the catalyst for modern industrial innovation. By integrating complex product functions directly into the manufacturing process, custom tools eliminate costly downstream production steps, driving a direct and significant contribution to industrial sustainability.
Tools dictate operational excellence: they ensure uncompromising quality, guarantee high-efficiency mass production, and are therefore the absolute foundation for the profitability and global competitiveness of manufacturing companies.
SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT: By optimizing industrial workflows, European tooling makes a direct, significant contribution to reducing resource consumption and carbon footprints.
FACTS
TOOLS CONTAIN SENSITIVE INFORMATION AND KNOW-HOW
A custom-engineered tool is the physical repository of a product’s intellectual property and manufacturing secrets.
Product
& development
INFLUENCE
INFORMATION
Cycle time
Surfaces
Subsequent steps
STRATEGIC RISK:
Offshoring tool production means outsourcing Europe’s industrial know-how and trade secrets before mass production even begins.
FACTS
TOOLMAKING PLAYS A
PIVOTAL ROLE BY LINKING PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT TO SERIES PRODUCTION
We turn R&D concepts into scalable, real-world products. Toolmakers are the structural bridge between European engineering innovation and industrial mass production.
by toolmaking companies
FACTS & FIGURES
~225.000 – 485.000+ Employees in ~10.500 – 15.500+ TDM Companies achieving
€11.2 BILLION Prodution Volume of New Tools in 2024 ... are the heartbeat of the industrial success in Europe.
IMBALANCED CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND SUPPLY CHAIN DYNAMICS
TOOLMAKER
European toolmakers, predominantly SME’s, face asymmetrical pressures from multinational OEMs, including extreme payment terms and upfront development financing.
FINANCIAL SITUATION
THE REALITY: SME’s cannot act as zero-interest banks for large global corporations. Financial strain stifles local reinvestment and innovation. • BIG MACHINE SUPPLIER
CHALLENGE
TOOLING PRODUCTION IS DECLINING IN EUROPE
Market share for European injection moulds and die-casting dies is actively eroding.
TOTAL PRODUCTION VOLUME (%) EU27+TURKEY+UK 2024
FINDINGS
• Overall, a significant downturn in total production volume can be observed in Europe.
THE RISK: This is a permanent destruction of industrial capacity. Once specialized tooling shops close and highly skilled talent leaves, this expertise takes decades to rebuild – if it can be rebuilt at all.
VOLUME (%) EU27+TURKEY+UK
EU TOOLING COMMUNITY
“STUCK IN THE MIDDLE” AND LOSING GROUND
Trapped between highly protective foreign markets and an open European domestic market, EU toolmakers are losing ground. We are squeezed by skyrocketing domestic operational costs and aggressive foreign competition.
ANALYSIS OF MARKET DEVELOPMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION VOLUME
*Qualitative representation; deviations are possible for individual companies.
CHINA TAKES OVER EUROPE
GLOBAL TOOL EXPORTS SHOW A CLEAR TREND TOWARD INCREASED COMPETITION, PARTICULARLY FOCUSED ON LOW PURCHASE COSTS
KEY FINDINGS
• Over the last decade, China has shown continuous and substantial export growth, with a particularly strong acceleration since 2020.
• There is a growing gap between China’s export value and that of the other major players.
• Export volumes for the EU and the USA remain stagnant with only marginal fluctuation.
• This development indicates a structural shift in the global tooling industry, with China consolidating its role as the leading supplier while other regions face increasing competitive pressure.
In recent years, Chinese tool manufacturers have significantly expanded their presence in global markets, further increasing China’s already high export volumes – currently, no reversal of the trend is foreseeable.
*EU27, Turkey, Switzerland and United Kingdom
CHALLENGE
CHINA TAKES OVER EUROPE
THE NUMBER OF TOOLS SOURCED IN EUROPE HAS DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY IN RECENT YEARS, AS DEMONSTRATED BY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE
SECTOR IN PARTICULAR
CHALLENGE
THE “ONE-WAY STREET” IN GLOBAL TRADE
DEVELOPMENTS IN EUROPEAN TOOLMAKING ARE PRIMARILY ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE HIGHLY COMPETITIVE GLOBAL MARKET SITUATION .
LOCAL FOR LOCAL
Developments in European toolmaking are heavily driven by an unfair global market situation. As China evolves into a self-sufficient ecosystem, the market for exported European tools shrinks, while low-cost, state-supported foreign tools flood the open EU market.
CHALLENGE
GEOPOLITICAL IMPACT: THE LOSS OF EUROPE’S
INDUSTRIAL
BEDROCK
The decline of the European tooling industry will critically compromise the continent’s autonomy, leading to:
• Erosion of Innovative Capability: Starving local R&D and crippling our ability to pioneer next-generation manufacturing technologies.
• Stagnant Innovation Speed: Delaying time-to-market for critical new technologies, leaving Europe steps behind global competitors.
• Shrinking Product Diversity: Narrowing our industrial output and leaving European markets vulnerable to supply gaps.
• Collapsing Manufacturing Efficiency: Driving up operational costs and diminishing the baseline productivity of European factories.
• Industrial Flight from Europe: Accelerating the outright relocation of core manufacturing assets and high-value jobs overseas.
• Critical Dependence on China: Surrendering control of vital supply chains and leaving essential European industries entirely at the mercy of foreign monopolies.
• Compromised Geopolitical Position: Weakening Europe’s global influence, economic leverage, and strategic sovereignty.
WHAT TOOLMAKERS NEED FROM THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
WHAT TOOLMAKERS NEED FROM THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
Fair Competition Conditions
European toolmakers fully support high environmental, social, and labour standards. However, we face stringent local CO2 taxation and compliance burdens while competing directly with regions that ignore these responsibilities.
OUR DEMAND: We do not fear competition, but we demand a Level Playing Field . European standards must be matched by effective external border mechanisms.
WHAT TOOLMAKERS NEED FROM THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT Trade
and Global Competition
PROBLEM
• High capital intensity and long payment cycles
• Risky payment practices by large OEM’s
• Subsidized international competition
• Trade conflicts and tariffs
• Lack of transparency on foreign state aid
OUR REQUESTS
• Enforce Fair Trade: Implement fast-tracked anti-dumping measures and enforce transparency regarding foreign state aid.
• Chain Protections: Combat risky payment practices by large OEMs to protect SME liquidity.
• Border Adjustment: Expand carbon and environmental border adjustment mechanisms to include processed tools and moulds.
WHAT TOOLMAKERS NEED FROM THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
Protection of Intellectual Property and Know-How
PROBLEM
• High capital intensity and long payment cycles
• Loss of technological leadership through:
- Forced publication in public R&D projects - Relocation of production abroad
- Weak IP protection in global value chains
OUR REQUESTS
• Stop Involuntary Tech Transfer: Prevent the forced disclosure of proprietary technology in publicly funded EU R&D projects.
• Standardized Protections: Create EU-backed model contracts that guarantee toolmakers retain ownership of their process know-how and industrial design intelligence.
WHAT TOOLMAKERS NEED FROM THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
Proportionally and Bureaucracy Reduction
PROBLEM
• To many regulations requires to much resources for SME’s.
• Foreign competitors do not follow the same requirements or regulations existing in EU
OUR REQUESTS
• Too many overlapping regulations require excessive administrative resources that SME’s simply do not possess.
• Introduce strict proportionality in reporting requirements: Regulations designed for multi-billion-dollar corporations should not strangle a 40-employee tooling workshop.
ISTMA EUROPE
TOOLMAKERS OPEN AND CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE
A Critical Partnership for Europe’s Future
Europe’s industrial future cannot be secured if its SME’s – the backbone of its manufacturing base – are left vulnerable to unfair global competition without adequate political protection. Europe cannot afford to lose this critical capability.
CALL TO ACTION: We are ready to invest, innovate, and anchor future generations of talent in Europe. We need the European Parliament to build and safeguard the strategic economic framework to make this possible.
INDUSTRY STARTS WITH TOOLING
ISTMA
GLOBAL MANUFACTURING.
SUSTAINED AND MADE IN EUROPE
ISTMA EUROPE
Centro Empresarial da Marinha Grande
Rua de Portugal, Lote 18 – Fração A 2430-028 Marinha Grande – PORTUGAL
Tel.: +351 244 575 150
Fax: +351 244 575 159
E-mail: secretariat@istma.org
www.istma-europe.com