Fastening Excellence Center ‘fastener valley’ brings 18 Spanish fastener businesses together in a single hub
Several Basque‐based fastener businesses have joined forces to create the Fastening Excellence Center (FEX), mirroring similar ‘hub’ initiatives in other sectors.
Designed to promote the “transformation and competitiveness of the Spanish fastener industry” over the medium to long term, FEX is located in Bergara (Basque
Country, Spain). Bergara has a long fastener industry tradition, with fastener manufacturers (bolts, screws, nuts, washers, etc) to suppliers of raw materials, heat treatment and coating services to companies that provide state‐of‐the‐art technology such as machinery and tooling, as well as technical and R&D support.
FEX provides specialised support to companies in the fastener industry interested in generating added value in their current product/service portfolio, with a comprehensive product‐technology‐market orientation. It clusters 18 companies within the Spanish fastener industry and it is attracting an increasing number of new local and international partners, according to FEX.
The main objectives of the Fastening Excellence Center are to:
- Promote the transit from a business model based only on manufacturing parts for third parties to a business model based on self‐developed products and services.
- Anticipate new business opportunities and potential risks based on an extensive market knowledge and surveillance of the fastener industry with an international scope.
- Gain market visibility and brand recognition of the Spanish fastener industry worldwide to help associated companies access to new markets.
- Gain access to specific technology and innovation services by connecting associated companies with the Basque Network of Science, Technology and Innovation and other Technology Centres around the world.
- Generate know‐how about fastening systems and their applications.
- Boost collaboration strategies to take advantage of the synergies between associated companies and promote new business opportunities based on associated
product and services. - Connect their partners with other industry clusters that represent potential customers in strategic market segments such as railway, automotive, aerospace, or green energy, among others by promoting the Spanish fastening industry internationally, detecting new fastening applications and bringing new business opportunities to their associated companies.
www.fasteningexcellencecenter.com
This article originally appeared in the April 2021 issue of Torque Magazine, which you can read in its entirety online. If you are part of the fastener, tool and related industries you can subscribe to the magazine or sign up to our weekly newsletter.
