The machining industry is at a turning point, driven by automation, generational turnover, and the strategic necessity of scaling up to remain competitive.

APRIM played a leading role in the conference “The Future of Machining: Challenges, Robotics, and New Generations,” organized by AECIM. This event gathered national and international industry leaders to analyze the immediate hurdles facing our sector.

A key highlight of the event was the panel discussion featuring Guillermo Sanz Navarro, Business Development Manager of APRIM. Alongside representatives from CERATIZIT Group and Gühring SA, Guillermo addressed how generational turnover is fundamentally changing the industry’s business model.

During his intervention, he emphasized that the “new buyer” profile in machining is increasingly analytical, prioritizing:

The conference also featured a roundtable with leaders from Industrias Balmes, Mecánica Brañosera, and Chaparro Agrícola. The consensus was clear: increasing business size is no longer optional for industrial SMEs.

The industry called for a regulatory framework that distinguishes between large corporations and smaller workshops, as current administrative complexities and rising costs are stifling the investment capacity of many traditional pymes.

Experts in industrial robotics underscored that automation is the only structural response to the current labor shortage. It allows workshops to stabilize processes and shift workers toward higher-value tasks such as quality control and process supervision.

The event concluded with a clear message of support from Jaime Martínez Muñoz, Director General of Economy and Industry. He reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to the sector, highlighting a significant budget increase for 2026 in grants for digitalization and productive acquisitions.