Summary of the Foundry Salon FOCAST 2025

Foundry at the heart of dialog

The event was kicked off by a grand opening attended by Prof. Rafał Dańko, the President of the Polish Foundrymen’s Association, and José Javier González, the Secretary General of the World Foundry Organization. Both leaders emphasized the significance of FOCAST as an event that integrates various environments, attracting representatives of the scientific, industrial and institutional worlds to address their shared challenges and goals.

– This marks the return to a good tradition – stressed Prof. Dańko. – MTP Poznań Expo is an excellent place to promote Polish foundries, companies that manufacture components for the automotive, military equipment, power engineering, food and shipbuilding industries. Foundry is the industry of the future. As such, it should retain its strong position in Europe.

A panel of experts – between a global challenge and local potential

One of the highlights of the program was an international discussion panel led by renowned speakers and practitioners from Poland, Germany, Turkey and Denmark. The topics of discussion included the impact of megatrends on the foundry industry, the role of industry in the context of national security and energy transformation, and the need to implement environmentally friendly technologies.

The panel speakers included:

• Dr. Carsten Kuhlgatz – the former President of the World Foundry Organization, currently a member of the Supervisory Board of Hüttenes-Albertus Group,
• Tunçağ Cihangir Şen – Secretary General of the Turkish Foundry Association TÜDÖKSAD,
• Krzysztof Sikora – expert with extensive experience in international industrial projects,
• and Prof. Rafał Dańko – representing the academia and the industry, the President of the Polish Foundrymen’s Association and the former President of the World Foundry Organization.

– The format in which this year’s FOCAST was organized was a very good solution – said dr. Kuhlgatz. – It is a perfect opportunity for foundries to promote their businesses, meet clients, present their products and technologies. The panels and presentations were well organized, and the stage provides an opportunity for the constructive exchange of thoughts. This is a huge step ahead for the Polish foundry industry.

Innovation, technologies and practice

FOCAST 2025 served as a great opportunity to present latest technological solutions and practical applications in foundry. The Industry Days featured multiple presentations concerning, among others, thin walled casting, ERP systems, AI in industry, vacuum distillation or spectrometry. The Foundry Department of the AGH University of Technology, the Łukasiewicz Research Network, the Abas Business Solutions Poland, the Industrial Solutions Group and the Preston Group were some of the guests that showcased their innovations.

They emphasized the need to optimize processes, automate production and implement digital management tools. According to the exhibitors, these actions address the current needs: high energy costs, growing expectations from clients, and regulatory pressure.

– Similarly to the entire European industry, the Polish foundry is now facing serious challenges – said Prof. Rafał Dańko. – The key issues are the environment, the Green Deal and the energy crisis. At the same time, this is a time of opportunities. With the implementation of modern technologies, such as additive manufacturing, we can increase flexibility, reduce the lead times and improve production effectiveness. This is a direction we should be consistently pursuing.

Space for people and the industry

Apart from many interesting presentations, FOCAST was also the place to hold important meetings – both formal and informal. The networking evening event called “Foundry & Friends Meetup” and the presence of industry organizations and technical schools created a space for building relations and initiating cooperation.

The event was praised by the environment – also on the international arena. Foundry Planet and Przegląd Odlewnictwa were the media patrons of the expo, which elevated the rank and importance of the Salon in the European industry calendar.

The future of foundry starts today

FOCAST 2025 proved that, despite many challenges, the Polish foundry industry is gaining momentum. High attendance, strong leadership voices and high quality debates prove that the foundry industry has a clear direction: innovation, environmental responsibility and integration with key sectors of the industry. With a synergy of science, business and technology, this sector gained an event that is successfully merging knowledge with practice, and tradition – with innovation.