FAJI is a private company recognized as being of public interest by the authorities, whose objectives are to promote the skills of the Swiss Jura Arc of microtechnology (and its companies, products and services) and to promote technical professions among young people. The shareholders are regional companies and institutions.
The company is convinced that the microtechnology industries of the Jura Arc are in a good position worldwide to remain at the forefront of innovation and that starting to learn a job in this field is a clever move for the future for young people.
Interview with Pierre-Yves Kohler, CEO of FAJI SA.
Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?
Pierre-Yves Kohler: Regarding the promotion of industry (www.siams.ch)
Our area of expertise is the promotion of companies and the establishment of relationships between suppliers and buyers capable of saying “yes” to their offers. SIAMS, the exhibition for the entire microtechnology production chain which takes place every two years in Moutier, is the main instrument we offer. Exhibitors belonging to this community have numerous tools at their disposal (such as the microtechnology information portal or the SIAMS Club) to help them profile themselves on the sophisticated microtechnology market, mainly in Switzerland and Europe.
Regarding the promotion of the DUAL training in technical jobs (www.bepog.ch)
Basically, we organize activities in schools to allow the worlds of academics and of industry to meet. We offer a lot of different activities for young people between 10 and 15 years old because we are convinced that technical jobs are not only needed for the future but also interesting and fully rewarding for those who follow that path.
E.E: What’s the news about new products?
P.Y.K: You are looking for a microtechnology solution? One single address: www.siams.ch. This leads you to the info portal of the Swiss leading trade fair for microtechnology. More than 200 customers publish news there (mainly in French and German but also in English) to offer the SIAMS community the best possible information tool. Every spring of the even years a 10’000 sqm trade show takes place in Moutier and every odd year, the exhibitors have several activities like Club trips, virtual SIAMS events, meetings and more in order to value their participation of the community The SIAMS offers a shop window as well as a door to the ecosystem of the Swiss microtechnology precision. SIAMS is about 10’000 sqm, 450 exhibitors, 14’000+ visitors, 4 days every two years.
Next issue will take place live from April 16 to 19, 2024. Next springs will see a new virtual event and indeed the news on the technology portal are available any time. As of today 4’628 News are published in French, 3’074 in German and 1’647 in English. Don’t hesitate to go see those and come back regularly.
E.E: What are the ranges of products?
P.Y.K: We’re covering the whole production chain of microtechnology, from raw material till the delivery of technological parts in the fields of Watch industry, medical, Automotive, Electronics as well as in any field needing small and precise parts. Whatever you look for, machines, peripherals, software, assembly, robotics, training, cleaning, treatments and so on and on… as long as it’s about microtechnology, you are at the right place to find the right solution that suits you best. One of the most important aspect of the event is it’s size and proximity. It’s not rare to see specialists from a company going to another booth with a customer to make the contact and discover a complementary product.
E.E: At what stage is the market where you are currently active?
P.Y.K: We’re active on the niche market of microtechnology. Our exhibitors come from Switzerland (90%), German, France, Italy and a few other countries. Visitors come from Switzerland (93%) and from 30 countries. We love to tell the story of a visitor from Bronx New-York that left Switzerland with a complete solution bought at SIAMS: Machine-tool, peripherals, oil, raw material as well as software. This explains the scope and positioning of the show.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
P.Y.K: As far as exhibitions are concerned, the trends are somewhat clear. 1) The large generalist exhibitions are losing ground. 2) Companies are increasingly reluctant to let their employees go on a “school run” at trade fairs. A visit must be organized with clear objectives (whether they be technological or business intelligence). Exhibitors no longer want to invest large sums of money just for image.
On the other hand, participating in a trade fair like SIAMS, at the heart of a particular ecosystem, is a guarantee of making positive contacts. We are convinced that the human aspect of a trade show will remain needed for the years to come. Nevertheless, we must ensure that exhibitors and visitors have positive experiences at every contact. You don’t want to go to a trade show, you want to find solutions in a positive atmosphere. That’s the reason why we exist. One of our very assets is that a lot of small companies don’t communicate and only go to one trade show: the SIAMS. It’s therefore the certainty to discover a lot of new products and services from “genius from start-ups and small companies”.
E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?
P.Y.K: SMEs often lack the communication skills to be as effective as possible in the market. SIAMS is not a trade fair that sells square meters, but an integrated communication tool that provides meeting opportunities for its exhibitors. The aim? To enable them to stand out in the market in an efficient and simple way and to ensure a quality and quantity of contacts that will allow them to develop. We create a real community in microtechnology. Located at the fringe of German speaking Switzerland and French speaking Switzerland, we offer a perfect bridge between those two areas. Many of our exhibitors are saying that coming to SIAMS is like coming home!
E.E: What estimations do you have for 2022?
P.Y.K: The trade show that just took place earlier this year was the one of all superlatives for us. We achieved 14’781 visitors and our exhibitors tell us they’re very happy not only of the quantity of visitors but also the quality.
Pierre-Yves Kohler, CEO of FAJI SA
Statistics can be found here regarding the sheer numbers (French / German) and here following the satisfaction survey to the exhibitors (French / German).
The sanitary and geopolitical situations are very worrying. However, the field of microtechnology production remains of paramount importance in the modern technological world and the companies exhibiting at SIAMS are among the best in the world. Production will certainly evolve towards greater efficiency and performance in order to produce with a minimum of energy consumption and to avoid all waste (in particular by using the data made possible by the digitalization of companies). These are major trends and SIAMS exhibitors have decided to join forces to work on solutions.
SIAMS info portal
https://www.siams.ch/News/default.asp?LanguageForce=EN
The trade show
https://www.siams.ch/the-trade/presentation