Electrification, autonomous driving, connectivity, sustainability, Asian competition… The automotive industry is undergoing a profound transformation process marked by technological, environmental, and even geopolitical challenges. These challenges require analysis and joint strategies between the different players in the sector to be able to face the future in terms of efficiency and competitiveness.
To analyze this
situation, ACICAE-Cluster de Automoción de Euskadi and Expansión organized a
conference on the 14th that brought together some of the main players in the
industry, including Walter Pack.
At the forefront of technology
During the
meeting, Walter Pack’s Commercial Director, Marcos Alonso, highlighted
innovation and design as two of the company’s main assets for facing these
challenges. He explained that Walter Pack invests 3% of its budget in R&D+i
to stay at the forefront of technology and anticipate the needs of the sector.
He also emphasized the company’s commitment to its Color&Trim Department,
which allows it to go beyond traditional concepts of design, lighting, surface,
and materials to provide exclusive finishes and position itself as an
international benchmark.
Walter Pack’s goal is to apply innovation across all its processes to create fully functional design pieces that excite and stimulate the senses, providing a unique user experience.
Marcos Alonso
explained how Walter Pack has consolidated itself over the past 30 years as a
leading player in the design and production of high value-added decorative
plastic components. The company’s technological capabilities, combined with its
collaboration with major global car manufacturers, allow it to design
customized and specific components for different brands and vehicle models
through innovation.
Plastronics, leading the way
This ability is
crucial to address current and future trends in the automotive industry,
especially the electrification of vehicles, connectivity, and the incorporation
of digital tools such as Artificial Intelligence and autonomous driving,
without losing sight of the commitment to environmental sustainability.
The Commercial Director of Walter Pack explained that the company has specialized in processes such as plastronics to meet these demands. This process integrates electronic circuits into polymers made with organic and hybrid materials, providing greater design freedom. Plastronics is one of the factors that has made Walter Pack an international benchmark in the design and manufacture of exclusive plastic solutions, leading to collaborations with brands such as Alfa Romeo, Jeep, BMW, Volkswagen, and Škoda.
The meeting
organized by ACICAE-Cluster de Automoción de Euskadi and Expansión was attended
by its managers, Inés Anitua and Iñaki Garay, respectively, and the general
director of ANFAC, José López Tafall. Other key players in the automotive
industry also attended, including José Martín Vega from Renault Group, Pedro
García, vice president of MG, Kepa Mendikute from Solaris, Bernd Krottmayer
from Mercedes-Benz Vitoria, Javier Quesada from Teknia, Valentín Guisasola from
Schaeffler, Leire Martínez from Tenneco, and Borja Arenaza and Francisco
Carranza from AIC and Basquevolt, respectively.
