Cableways Impact Assessment Study - Final Report - saferail.nl

Risk & Policy Analysts
SMEs
In general, many small manufacturers within the industry focus on the installation of
less complicated and smaller cableways in the form of drag lifts and basic chairlifts.
However, as shown in Table 2.22, there are exceptions with several SMEs also
offering more complicated high-end products. Based on Table 2.22, it can be
assumed that of the 32 SME cableway manufacturers, approximately two-thirds may
be producing drag lifts and basic chairlifts.
While it is unknown how the supply chain of every SME in the industry functions, a
small cableway manufacturer stated that it relies heavily upon sub-contractors and
suppliers. For example, this company sub-contracts activities such as welding as the
small nature of the company means it is unable to provide the necessary expertise in
this area. On the other hand, another SME manufacturer stated that they produce
many components (such as clamps) in-house but purchase other parts (such as
engines) externally.
Furthermore, since the Directive was introduced in 2004 the industry has experienced
increased levels of cooperation. As a result of the expense involved in certifying new
products under the Directive, it is necessary for some companies to cooperate in order
to offset the financial burden. Also, many SMEs do not introduce new components or
subsystems frequently as the costs involved in certification are too high. This is
supported by the data provided by STRMTG (2011b) regarding the number of
subsystems approved by STRMTG from 2004 to 2011. The quantity of certifications
submitted by SMEs (of both manufacturers of whole installations and of subsystems)
is significantly lower than those submitted by the large companies (the two large
manufacturer groups actually submitted the certifications for two-thirds of
components). However, as noted earlier, it is possible that large manufacturers may in
some cases submit components for certification on behalf of their suppliers.
2.3.5 Identification and Ownership of Key Industry Clusters
At the European level, the cableways industry is clustered in and around the Alps (as
illustrated in Figure 2.4). The Alps are currently the largest market for cableways and
large numbers of installations already exist in this area. As a result, within Europe the
cableways industry is centred on France, Switzerland, Austria and Italy with
comparatively lesser manufacturing activity occurring in other European countries.
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