EUROMAP – Europe’s Association for plastics and rubber machinery manufacturersTranslation site

EUROMAP is the leading European umbrella association representing the plastics and rubber machinery industry. Established in 1964, it serves as the central voice for manufacturers of core machinery (pre-processing, converting, post-processing) across Europe, advocating for the sector’s interests, driving standardization, and fostering innovation in digitalization and sustainability.

EUROMAP – Europe’s Association for plastics and rubber machinery manufacturers

Overview & Scale

EUROMAP represents around 500 companies(with historical figures citing up to 1,000 members) that collectively account for ~40% of global plastics and rubber machinery production and 50% of global export volumes. The European industry generates annual sales of €13.5–17 billion, with nearly 75% of its output exported worldwide. Germany contributes half of Europe’s total production, followed by Italy and Austria as key manufacturing hubs.

Member associations are based in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom, creating a unified regional network for the sector.

Leadership & Governance

As of 2025, EUROMAP’s presidency is led by Tobias Baur, Chief Sales Officer (CSO) of ARBURG GmbH & Co KG, a German injection moulding specialist. Alessandro Grassi, Shareholder and CEO of Italian temperature control equipment manufacturer FRIGOSYSTEM S.R.L., serves as Vice President. The association is supported by a technical commission, with key contacts including Marc Schmitt (VDMA) for technical coordination.

Core Mission & Activities

EUROMAP’s work focuses on three strategic pillars:

1. Standardization & Technical Recommendations

A cornerstone of EUROMAP’s work is developing industry-wide technical standards to ensure interoperability, safety, and efficiency across plastics and rubber machinery. Key standards include:

• EUROMAP 60.1/60.2: Energy metering standards for injection moulding machines, forming the basis of the EUROMAP energy label to promote energy-efficient technologies.
• EUROMAP 67: Physical signal-based connection between injection moulding machines and robots.
• EUROMAP 77: The first OPC UA-based interface for data exchange between injection moulding machines and Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), defining parameters like machine status, injection unit metrics (pressure, speed, time), and production datasets.
• EUROMAP 79: Standardizes communication between injection moulding machines and robots to enable seamless协同 work.
• EUROMAP 82.1/82.1X: Interfaces for injection moulding machines with temperature control equipment and other peripheral devices.
• EUROMAP 83: Defines general types for EUROMAP OPC UA companion specifications, unifying the information model for plastic machinery.
• EUROMAP 84/85: Interfaces for extruders and blow moulding machines with MES, respectively.
• EUROMAP 90: Focuses on energy management across machinery.

All standards are publicly available on the EUROMAP website (euromap.org).

2. Industry 4.0 & Digitalization

EUROMAP is a pioneer in driving digital transformation for the plastics and rubber sector. It collaborates closely with the OPC Foundation to develop OPC UA Companion Specifications for machinery, replacing outdated text-file-based interfaces (e.g., EUROMAP 63) with secure, platform-independent software communication. This enables seamless machine-to-machine (M2M) data exchange, supporting applications like OEE monitoring, energy management, and SPC quality analysis via edge computing.

In recent years, EUROMAP has also partnered with the Industrial Digital Twin Association (IDTA) to advance the Asset Administration Shell (AAS)—a key component of the RAMI 4.0 architecture—for creating digital twins of machinery, further integrating plastic machinery into smart factory ecosystems.

3. Advocacy & Global Collaboration

EUROMAP advocates for open markets and fair competition, supporting members in navigating global trade challenges (e.g., U.S. delivery tariffs) and aligning with international regulatory frameworks. It maintains strong ties with global plastics industry associations and supports major trade fairs like K 2025 (Düsseldorf) and Interplas Thailand, ROSPLAST (Russia), and DIE & MOULD CHINA.

The association also promotes circular economy transitions, encouraging members to adopt sustainable production practices and develop machinery for recycling and eco-friendly material processing.

Market Position & Challenges

Europe remains the world’s top supplier of plastics and rubber machinery, holding over 40% of global production value (followed by China, the U.S., and Japan). Despite a 2024–2025 demand decline due to customer industry uncertainty and trade barriers, EUROMAP forecasts phased recovery, particularly in the U.S. market.

Key challenges include addressing phased-shifted demand, advancing digitalization/AI integration, and supporting members in the transition to a circular economy.

Global Exhibition Support

EUROMAP actively endorses and collaborates with major international plastics/rubber trade fairs to enhance industry visibility and collaboration. Supported events in 2026 include:

• RUBBER & TYRE VIETNAM (Ho Chi Minh City, June 10–12)
• PROPAK ASIA (Bangkok, June 11–13)
• ROSPLAST/ROSMOULD (Moscow, June 16–19)
• INTERPLAS THAILAND (Bangkok, June 17–20)
• DIE & MOULD CHINA (Shanghai, June 30–July 3)