|
The railway industry is generally divided into system integrators, sub-system and component suppliers. Due to a trend of concentration in Europe and world-wide, the number of companies active in the industry is shrinking.
Those that remain play a vital role in the supply chain. Small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are also an essential part of this chain. They are an important source of employment in Europe and they have a strong innovative capacity. It is estimated that there are 6-700 SMEs in the European rail industry.
Therefore, small to medium sized enterprises are essential actors within the railway supply industry. Today, however, these SMEs face a more competitive business environment and many challenges lie ahead. Several of these SMEs are direct members of UNIFE. Some are also represented in UNIFE by their respective national associations.
UNIFE works closely with the respective companies to increase their relations with the system integrators, to represent them with regard to the European institutions and to find solutions to the particular problems they face today.
There are various different programmes to help SMEs progress in Europe today. These programmes are often European Union funded and include examples such as Asia-Invest, GoDigital and many of the coming 6th Framework Programme projects.
By increasing co-operation and dialogue on a regular basis between SMEs and the system integrators and by studying the particular situations of these companies, UNIFE hope to obtain a deeper understanding of the railway supply industry in general and help all sides foster a better and more profitable future.
Contact
Annika Nierobisch, International Affairs Manager
Email: annika.nierobisch@unife.org
Tel: +32 2 626 12 68
Fax: +32 2 626 12 61
|
|
|
