THE SPANISH RAILWAY ASSOCIATION CELEBRATES ITS TENTH ANNIVERSARY WITH A VERY POSITIVE BALANCE: 71 ASSOCIATES AND THE SATISFACTION OF HAVING HELPED TO INCREASE PRESTIGE AND OBTAIN WORLDWIDE RECOGNITION WITH ALL OF THEM. WE REALIZE AN OVERVIEW TO ITS DEVELOPMENT OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS.
A decade dedicated to promoting the rail industry internationally, that’s how you could sum up the career Mafex has had so far, the Spanish Railway Association, a non-profit organization currently composed by 71 members. Serving the Spanish railway sector by helping its member companies in their internationalization actions and by defending the general interests of its member companies has been and remains being the main premises that Mafex has had since its inception.
Now, making a balance of the decade of hard work, the Association wishes to continue with the international broadcast partners bringing new challenges for the coming years to improve the image of the Spanish railway industry internationally.
From the day of its constitution, (September 16th, 2004), Mafex has worked in networking with national and international railway institutions in order to assist in anything that can help any member company in the internationalization of it’s activity.
In addition to this main objective of supporting internationalization, the Association has been and is very aware of the defense of the general interests of the Spanish railway industry: promoting it and boosting a greater relevance in different areas and forums; enabling the exchange of knowledge and information; enabling collaboration with institutions and organizations both at national and international levels; supporting collaboration between partners,
institutions and organizations in R + D + i, etc. All of these interests are included in the Strategic Plan 2014-2016 under three specific strategic objectives: improve internationalization, intensify the work of rendering the railway sector and improve competitiveness.
Improve internationalization
Throughout its 10 years of activity, the association has promoted contact and knowledge of the reality and railway needs of more than 60 countries on five continents by conducting more than 100 promotional activities abroad, with a share of participation of more than 1,000 companies, bringing international companies and institutions to better knowledge of the Spanish railway industry, undoubtedly one of the most advanced and developed in our country, and also sector reference worldwide. Railway internationalization remains the pillar and support of the association and where Mafex will continue to focus its efforts in the coming years.
Representation work
The second strategic objective is the intensification of the representation of the rail industry, placing Mafex as an essential agent of a sectoral strategy and an advocate both in national and international levels. With this strategic objective Mafex seeks to promote cooperation between all companies, increase their associative spirit and place the Association in the decision fields of the rail sector.
Improve competitiveness
Mafex integrates among its members both small and medium enterprises –the latter ones constitute 80% of all partners- as well as large companies, covering all the different sub-sectors that comprise the value chain of the rail sector. These companies provide innovative products and solutions from the last generation, developed and implemented not only in our country but in more than 80 countries, which have
proven their efficiency and reliability, thus positioning the Spanish railway sector as a leader and a global standard. The third strategic objective is to continue supporting Mafex companies in their innovation processes and position the Association as an agent for improving the competitiveness of its partners.
To achieve these three objectives in the coming years, Mafex has launched various committees and working groups composed of associated companies of different sizes and sectors whose dedication and effort will benefit the entire industry and thanks to which the Spanish Railway Association will celebrate another hugely successful decade.
The figures support their success
Despite the years of international crisis, the Spanish railway industry has had a spectacular growth over the 10 years of life of MAFEX
The international rail investment continues to offer good prospects and the Spanish Railway Association is betting for the Spanish industry to improve its results daily. Since the creation of Mafex, when there were only 16 companies, the Association has managed to increase until reaching the amount of 71 member companies in 2014.
But in addition, the turnover and export data of the Spanish railway sector supports the recognition the Spanish industry currently has, both national and international. In 2004 the member companies billed Mafex €181 M, a figure that has been rising until it positioned itself in 2013 at more than €4,000 M in its rail business.
