Ana Vainman: “The reappearance of credit and interest-free installments are fundamental for durable goods”

At the beginning of the talk, Vainmann recalled that AFARTE represents “many companies that are dedicated to the electronics industry and are based in Tierra del Fuego” and stated that “it was an activity that was very complicated at the beginning of the year.”

“The changes in the macro, the rise in the dollar and the PAIS tax, meant that there were many discrepancies and we had a complicated first part of the year in terms of consumption, with drops of up to 60% depending on the product,” He said about the beginning of 2024.

And he graphed: “The demand for goods that were not essential goods was very depressed. The replacement had to wait for the second part of the year where it began to improve with the reappearance of credit and interest-free installments from banks, which are essential for durable goods.”

Thinking about 2025, he anticipated that “there is still a lot to grow, taking into account that the first part of 2024 was difficult” and stated: “Supporting credit is important for durable goods and If inflation eases, it is an incentive to be able to acquire goods that at other times give you uncertainty.”

CEO leadership in a time of change

When talking about the leadership of CEOs in a time of change like last year, Vainman said that their role “is to settle the differences between companies in the sector and try to find the common denominator for later.” raise questions to the different actors, such as the Executive and Legislative Branches and the province of Tierra del Fuego in my case.”

In particular, he pointed out that there were extra difficulties as a result of the change of government. “You had to establish the relationship with each of the new actors who took over and get used to a new logic and a completely different public policy,” He recalled about the assumption of Javier Milei and added: “When you sit at the table, you have to adapt to changes and new contingencies.”

At the same time, he recalled that the electronic sector “is the main private employer and the main contributor to the treasury”, which represents “a key role at a social and economic level” and said that the changes proposed by the government “They required a series of adaptations, even technically, such as the tax aspect and foreign trade.”

Tierra del Fuego advances in projects to “grow and diversify”

The AFARTE representative referred to the existence of “projects to grow and diversify” in Tierra del Fuego, among which included the construction of the Port of Rio Grande, the farming of mussels and the manufacturing of food for catering to cruise ships going to Antarctica, by Newsan Food.

“We have to think beyond the electronics industry and have other industries, because that has to do with having a thriving economy and offering quality employment,” stood out.

When asked about the opening of imports, she indicated that “The challenge is to be increasingly competitive and make productive plants more efficient, as well as integrating logistics, which has a very important weight.”

Regarding the auto parts sector, Vainman stated that “It is growing because it has the virtue of being included in an export value chain” and maintained that “you change the trade balance a little because you require dollars to import inputs, but when you can export it in a car, that balance becomes positive and is beneficial for the entire economy.”

“There is a lot to do and each company thinks about how to grow inward and think about other different things,” he summarized.

Innovation to gain competitiveness

In the field of innovation, Vainman mentioned that “on the one hand, there is that associated with international brands such as Samsung, Motorola, Xiaomi, TCL, Hisense and RCA and other renowned venues such as BGH and Noblex”, but considered that “It is important to implement it in the production process because it allows you to gain competitiveness.”

In that sense, he highlighted “cobots that work collaboratively with the operator, developed by engineers, doctors and kinesiologists” and clarified: “It does not replace it, but rather helps it in very repetitive tasks or that may generate some complication in the operating maneuver. For example, at BGH a robotic arm that imitates the movement of the hand by placing a transformer that goes inside the microwave.”

In turn, he defended the assembly operation in Tierra del Fuego. “The term assembly is used pejoratively, but it is the last part of the production process and perhaps the most important because it includes testing and inclusion of the software. There are countries that are dedicated to manufacturing and others to integration. It is the modern way to make processes more efficient, it also happens in the automotive industry,” he clarified.

Regarding AI, he highlighted robotics and industry 4.0 applied to production lines. “We are implementing real-time auditing of international brands. They are the same brands that audit in real time from Korea, China or wherever, what is happening at that moment in the plant,” he stated.

Sustainability and training

Regarding employees, the executive director of AFARTE indicated that “It is always a challenge to retain talent or whoever manages to incorporate AI tools more quickly to enhance them” and highlighted that “there is a lot of training for those who work and those who join.”

Likewise, he highlighted that “Energy efficiency is a priority in the products we manufacture” and regarding sustainability he pointed out: “The inputs we import come in packaging and many companies are dedicated to recycling and reusing it for other purposes.”

Regarding consumer behavior, Vainman admitted that “there is not such a high concern in saying what percentage of the material is recycled, but it is important that it comes from companies,” but he valued that “it is seen with air conditioners, because one can recover with the electricity bills.”