Italian Francesco Silvestri takes the helm at the European Spring Federation
Francesco Silvestri, representing ANCCEM, is the new president of the European Spring Federation. The handover from outgoing president Paul-Bernd Vogtland took place on April 15 in Düsseldorf, at the opening of the International Spring Makers Conference, held alongside wire & Tube 2026.
The ESF brings together seven full member associations and eight associate members, representing an industry that across Europe counts over 950 companies, more than 29,000 employees, and a combined turnover exceeding 4.5 billion euros. Vogtland, in his closing remarks, painted a candid picture: challenging times, economic uncertainty, and aggressive competition from the Far East. Silvestri, taking the floor, outlined the priorities of his presidency: strengthening the relationships that hold together a European federation made up of hundreds of small and mid-sized companies, advancing standardization at both European and international level, and advocating for a level playing field. An agenda shaped directly by the market context — as documented during the conference by Stefan Schneeberger, Associate Partner at Berylls Strategy Advisors.
The automotive transformation through Berylls' lens
The Berylls analysis paints a picture of an automotive industry in full transformation, with dynamics that closely affect the entire components supply chain. Suppliers are holding up better than manufacturers overall: the market capitalization of the top 25 suppliers grew at 17.8% per year between 2022 and 2025, compared to 4.9% for the leading vehicle manufacturers. Supplier margins remain stable at around 5.5–5.8%, while OEM margins have slipped from 7% to 4.5% in 2025.
Chinese competition, however, is structural and growing. Consumer preferences in China are shifting rapidly toward local brands, with a significant drop in the propensity to purchase German premium vehicles. On the production side, Beijing has announced 19 new plants in Europe by 2028 — in Hungary, Serbia, Germany, Poland, Portugal, and Spain — while European suppliers are planning to close 36 facilities over the same period. The Chinese cost advantage is substantial: manufacturing a mid-size car in Germany costs nearly three times more than in China, compounded by an operating model built on minimal overhead, development cycles two to three times faster, and AI-driven automation.
Schneeberger nonetheless identified key European strengths that Asian competitors cannot replicate overnight: long-standing customer relationships, materials and safety expertise, compliance with the world's most stringent regulations, and an already-established geographic footprint. The answer to the Chinese challenge, the analyst argued, lies in evolving from component suppliers into strategic partners for OEMs.
Updated projections indicate that electrification is continuing, but at a slower pace than previously forecast: the share of electric vehicles in global production is set to grow from around 22% in 2026 to 44% by 2035, with combustion engine powertrains retaining a still-relevant share of around 28% in 2035.
International standardization: ISO projects in progress
The session closed with remarks from Dr. Andres Weinrich, chairman of ISO Technical Committee 227 – Springs. Among the ongoing projects, Weinrich highlighted the progress of ISO 16249 (technical symbols and nomenclature for springs), currently under member country ballot, the revision of ISO 26909 (vocabulary), and the new ISO 33298 covering helical suspension springs for railway applications.
The next major international event for the industry is scheduled in Rome on September 24, 2027: the 13th International Congress of Spring Industry, co-organized by ANCCEM.
