The value of the aluminium industry is not yet clear!
Philipp Schlüter
Chairman European Aluminium,
CEO TRIMET Aluminium SE
© TRIMET
Bar ohne Namen
Entschlossen verweigert sich Savage, der Bar einen Namen zu geben. Stattdessen sind drei klassische Design-Symbole das Logo der Trinkstätte in Dalston: ein gelbes Quadrat, ein rotes Viereck, ein blauer Kreis. Am meisten wurmt den sympathischen Franzosen dabei, dass es kein Gelbes-Dreieck-Emoji gibt. Das erschwert auf komische Weise die Kommunikation. Der Instagram Account lautet: a_bar_with_shapes-for_a_name und anderenorts tauchen die Begriffe ‘Savage Bar’ oder eben ‚Bauhaus Bar‘ auf.
Für den BCB bringt Savage nun sein Barkonzept mit und mixt für uns mit Unterstützung von Russian Standard Vodka an der perfekten Bar dazu.
Interview series "Transformation & Technology"
Philipp Schlüter recently became chairman of the industry association European Aluminium. In an interview with ALUMINIUM, he talks about his ambitions for the association as well as for the industry and shares his thoughts on the current challenges:
We can only overcome the crisis by joining our forces, above all we have to emphasise the position of our industry – aluminium is the material that is much needed for transformation. The aluminium industry, with its various value-added stages, is a key industry for the future.
Congratulations on your new position as chairman of European Aluminium! How do you feel in this role?
The position of chairman is new, but the task itself is not. As a member of the Executive Committee, I have supported my predecessor in her excellent work over the past years, along with my colleagues. I will continue this cooperative approach. I am honored by the trust of the members, and it is a commitment that I take seriously. However, the upcoming tasks can only be solved through collective efforts.
What are your goals for the industry association and how do you intend to achieve them?
As the voice of the aluminium industry in Europe, European Aluminium has made its presence known in recent years. The focus has been on promoting understanding and acceptance, particularly at the political level. This is where the action is happening in Brussels. The European Union is setting crucial guidelines for future conditions and regulations.
What do you see as the biggest challenges and opportunities for the aluminium industry in the current situation?
As a result of the energy crisis, primary aluminium production in Europe dropped by around 50 per cent over the past year and a half. High energy prices and distortions in global trade due to geopolitical tensions also pose major challenges for the processing industry and the recycling sector. This threatens an industrial cluster that contributes decisively to the resilience of Europe as an industrial location.
What contribution can you make as chairman of European Aluminium?
Political action is urgently needed to secure the economic basis of the aluminium industry in Europe. This requires persuasion and many discussions with parliamentarians, with representatives of governments and EU institutions. As the head of an industrial company that is committed to Europe as a production location, I want to lend weight to the position of our industry.
What can the industry itself do to prepare for these challenges?
It is equally important for all companies in the aluminium industry to align their products and production with the requirements of the green transformation, i.e. to make them fit for the future.
The transformation of the metal industries is progressing slowly – how does aluminium compare to other metals and how do you see the future positioning of the material?
The aluminium industry is anything but slow. It is rapidly developing sustainable products and making steady progress in sustainable production. The companies can and even want to do more. What is holding them back are the framework conditions, above all the unsecured availability of energy in sufficient quantities, in sustainable quality and at competitive prices. Aluminium is the material needed for the transformation you mentioned. The aluminium industry with its various stages of the value chain is a key industry for the future. And this is precisely where we need to locate the material.
What technologies are needed to drive the transformation of the aluminium industry?
The aluminium industry consists of a number of processing stages and production processes. There is thus a wide range of technologies involved in the transformation. In addition, there are those that are being developed for production, but also for energy generation. Flexibilisation plays a major role here. As with energy supply, the framework conditions are also important here. They must ensure openness to technology, because only this promotes dynamism and gets us to our goal.
Against this background, what do you expect from the ALUMINIUM Business Summit in November?
We talked about how important it is to create acceptance for our material in the political sphere. What applies to politics also applies to business and society. I have the impression that many are not yet sufficiently aware of the value of our industry and the need to preserve this value. The dialogue on the stage of the Summit creates attention. And attention ist the prerequisite for building awareness.
What role does aluminium play in your everyday life, which products do you use at home?
We encounter this material practically everywhere, including household. People take it for granted that many objects are made of aluminium and make everyday life easier. It's the same for me. The only difference may be that I am perhaps more aware of the material when I pull the foil off the yoghurt pot or squeeze the mustard out of the tube.
The dialogue on the stage of the ALUMINIUM Business Summit creates attention. And attention is the prerequisite for building awareness.
Philipp Schlüter
