Achille Agosti and Andrea Gobbi, founding partners of AG Cores, presented their company at the recent Rematec Amsterdam 2023.
What motivated you to choose Rematec Amsterdam 2023 to present AG Cores?
We believe that Rematec Amsterdam is the most important global remanufacturing industry trade fair, and we have been participating for years. This fair allows us to meet and engage with our customers and suppliers within a very limited timeframe. We are exclusively talking about international exchanges. The invasion of Chinese companies has unfortunately pushed away some players who used to be consistently present. The main reason is that new Chinese products have a cost and quality level that competes with remanufactured products from Italian and European companies. The end user is therefore tempted to choose new products, possibly at a lower price. Chinese competition is now a fact; here at the fair, they have participated in three editions and their presence is steadily increasing.
In light of this reality related to the 'Made in China' industry, what’s the AG Cores technological and commercial strategy in the field of remanufacturing?
Considering we are a core dealer, we always strive to be competitive in the market, using the best materials for products that are then provided for remanufacturing.
Circular economy is the key concept. How can your company be considered an added value both for customers and the environment?
Our entrepreneurial reality is perfectly integrated into the circular economy, with a keen focus on the environment. We take products otherwise destined for scrap and repurpose them for recycling and remanufacturing.
Are you alarmed by the end of the sale of internal combustion engine cars in Europe from 2035, with the related decrease in spare parts, and the advent of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs)?
At least for the next ten years, there won't be major issues, and the market will still be occupied with Internal Combustion Vehicles (ICVs), especially in certain Asian, Eastern European, and African countries where the ban on internal combustion engines will be postponed until 2050. As for Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), they do share some components with ICVs, such as steering, braking, and air conditioning.
As AG Cores, we have already been preparing to tackle a market that will require different products for remanufacturing. This involves changing our mindset and work system, focusing more on electronics, control units, and battery components. The future cannot be stopped; we need to adapt and be ready for it. The ecological transition is an opportunity for AG Cores, not a limitation. However, if we were to identify some of the critical issues related to BEVs, we can highlight the analysis of well-to-wheel emissions, demonstrating if an electric vehicle has really a zero impact from its production, thanks to entirely green manufacturing plants and supply chain, without the use of fossil carbon facilities but renewable energy. Another problem is the charging grid, which is still insufficient, at least on a national scale, both in urban and highway settings.
How does AG Cores envision its own future and that of remanufacturing?
Surely, remanufacturing will continue to develop, and so will we. Our company will increasingly seek new and larger players to supply our high-quality products to.
What are the upcoming events?
We will be attending Autopromotec in May 2024 with a booth, and Automechanika in Frankfurt in September 2024. We will also visit some industry exhibitions related to BEV batteries.
