EFFRA General Assembly & Annual Event 2026: Strengthening Europe’s Manufacturing Community

The EFFRA General Assembly & Annual Event 2026 brought together members, partners and institutional stakeholders in Brussels for two days of dynamic exchanges, strategic discussions and community building. The event once again demonstrated the strength of Europe’s manufacturing ecosystem and the shared commitment to shaping its future.

Welcoming participants from across industry, research and policy, the event provided a platform to reflect on key priorities for European manufacturing, while fostering collaboration across the EFFRA community. We were pleased to see such strong engagement throughout the programme, both from those attending in person and from members following the outcomes.

Key Highlights

A central milestone of this year’s event was the presentation of a new positioning paper, endorsed by more than 80 organisations. The paper sets out a strong and unified vision for the future of European manufacturing, reinforcing the sector’s strategic importance for competitiveness, resilience and sustainability.

The event also marked the launch of the Manufacturing Matters campaign, an initiative aimed at placing manufacturing firmly at the heart of Europe’s policy agenda. The campaign underlines the critical role of manufacturing in driving economic growth, innovation and strategic autonomy.

Over the course of the two days, six Working Group sessions provided in-depth discussions on key challenges and opportunities facing the sector. These sessions brought together experts from across the EFFRA network and resulted in the release of six Research & Innovation (R&I) papers. The papers offer concrete recommendations to support the design of future European R&I programmes and contribute to ongoing policy discussions.

Strengthening Dialogue with Policymakers

The event also offered valuable opportunities for exchange with representatives from the European Commission, Member States and national ministries. These discussions highlighted the importance of continued collaboration between industry, research and policymakers to support Europe’s industrial transformation and ensure that future initiatives reflect the needs of the manufacturing community.

Community, Governance and Growth

Beyond the formal sessions, the event was characterised by strong engagement and valuable networking moments, reinforcing connections across the EFFRA community.

During the General Assembly, members also took important governance decisions. A new Board of Directors was elected, while the mandates of the Chairs, Vice-Chairs and Treasurer were reconfirmed. In addition, 24 new members were officially admitted, further expanding and strengthening the association’s network.

Looking Ahead

The EFFRA General Assembly & Annual Event 2026 highlighted the importance of collaboration, shared vision and continued dialogue in advancing Europe’s manufacturing ambitions.

We would like to sincerely thank all speakers, Working Group chairs and co-chairs, and participants for their contributions to making this event both productive and engaging.

EFFRA looks forward to building on these discussions and continuing to work closely with its members and partners in the months ahead.