Associations of Knowledge

by Domenico Di Monte, President of Assofluid

As always at the end of one year and the beginning of the next, a list of resolutions is drawn up on how we intend to live and behave from now on. This is true for individuals, companies, and last but not least, associations! One of the central topics for Assofluid, and I sincerely hope for all the bodies with which we’ll be communicating over the coming months, will be the creation of a strategic plan with the fostering of partnerships being one of its main goals. We have been working in this direction for a number of years, convinced that needs, common across all industrial sectors, can be truly represented by associations able to transform synergies into genuinely well structured partnerships. Over the last two years, Italian industry has, thanks in part to Industry 4.0 planning and subsequently, “Enterprise 4.0” which seeks to widen digitalization and innovation, understood the current state of the art as well as the prospects to be garnered through targeted investment. Companies are now more aware of the importance of new technologies and training for staff members, which has benefits in other ways as well, being tax deductible is one. Now is, more than ever, the time to act! I would like to make use of one of my favourite sporting metaphors at this point, these last two years have been “warming up for the match”, now it’s time to kick off for real!
The unquestionable message coming from the market is that applications and above all, technology, is no longer confined by industrial sector: mechanics, electronics, IT in all its forms, combined with specific skills are the real subjects for all of today’s companies.
This is not a question of “product” but one of “knowledge” connected to technology and applications. I like to think of associations as a structure that allows a sharing of goals through a sharing of skills rather than products.
The relationship between firms and associations should, therefore, develop through the vision of sharing, spreading and developing knowledge.
In the coming days, we have organized meetings with other associations and all stakeholders interested in creating shared goal projects. I hope that in the 50th anniversary year of Assofluid, we can look to the past with pride and an equally glorious and sustained future, based on knowledge.