European Investment Casters' Federation

What European Investment Casters' Federation does

The European Investment Casters' Federation (EICF) is a Brussels-headquartered, Belgium-registered nonprofit trade association (AISBL) serving the European Investment Casting industry. Founded in 1954 and reorganised under Belgian law in 2019 after operating as a UK entity from 2003, the federation represents approximately 120 member organisations spanning foundries, suppliers, research institutions, and end-users across the precision casting value chain, with a staff of around 6 led by CEO Carlos Olabe and chaired by Dr. Julio Aguilar of Safran (appointed 2024).

The federation's offerings fall into four revenue streams: annual membership dues, an annual Conference & Exhibition (the 34th edition is scheduled for Seville in 2026 and the 35th for Stockholm in 2027), technical education courses delivered in partnership with academic and research centres — notably Brno University of Technology (Investment Casting Manufacturing Technology Course) and Azterlan (Advanced Process Control Course) — and publications including the INCAST Magazine. It maintains affiliations with the Union of International Associations (UIA) and the European Society of Association Executives (ESAE), and participates in the CHROMAFOR cross-sector sustainability initiative spanning 2023-2025.

The federation operates with the governance hallmarks of an established industry body: a board drawn from member organisations, updated Articles of Association, and a rotating conference city model that distributes its reach across European industrial clusters. The 2022 conference drew 253 delegates from 23 countries, evidencing meaningful international participation despite the federation's regional focus.

Name

European Investment Casters' Federation

Legal name

European Investment Casters' Federation AISBL

Website

https://eicf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The European Investment Casters' Federation is a Belgium-based nonprofit trade association founded in 1954 that serves the European Investment Casting industry through membership services, annual conferences, technical education courses, and publications for approximately 120 member foundries, suppliers, and research institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association Services

NAICS

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Committees, Working Groups & Expert Panels (BPADANAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Instrumentation, Controls & Automation Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAM)

Keywords

• Investment casting industry
• Trade association services
• Industrial conferences exhibitions
• Professional certification training
• Industry technical standards

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees for European investment foundries, suppliers, research organizations and universities. Each membership payment includes a non-refundable €20 administration fee.
2. Conference & Exhibition: Registration fees for International conferences and exhibitions (delegate fees, exhibition booth fees). Early bird and standard pricing tiers available.
3. Education Courses: Fees for specialized IC Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Process Control courses offered in partnership with universities.
4. Publications & Goods: Sale of conference proceedings, technical publications, standards, and INCAST Magazine. Digital and physical format options. No refunds on publications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The European Investment Casters' Federation (EICF) is a nonprofit trade association serving the European investment casting industry. It delivers annual membership services to foundries, suppliers, equipment producers, research centres and universities; organizes an annual international conference and exhibition rotating across European cities; runs two specialist education courses (Investment Casting Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Process Control) in partnership with universities; publishes INCAST Magazine, conference proceedings, technical standards and a sustainability guide; and awards the EICF Engineer Specialist Certificate.

Product overview

EICF is a trade association for the investment casting industry, not a traditional software product company. The organization's offerings consist of events, education, publications, and membership services. Core offerings include the annual EICF International Conference & Exhibition (now at its 34th edition for 2026 in Seville), the Investment Casting Manufacturing Technology Course (awarding EICF Engineer Specialist Certificate upon completion), the Advanced Process Control Course, publications including INCAST Magazine and conference proceedings, technical standards development, a membership directory of European investment casting companies, and a sustainability guide. These services support talent development, technical education, knowledge exchange, and industry collaboration across the European investment casting value chain.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• EICF International Conference & Exhibition Annual international conference and exhibition bringing together investment casting professionals, experts, and stakeholders to exchange ideas, present innovations, and foster collaboration within the investment casting supply chain. Rotates across European cities and draws 230+ delegates from 18-23 countries with exhibition stands.
• EICF Investment Casting Manufacturing Technology Course Comprehensive education program covering fundamentals and latest advancements in investment casting manufacturing. Delivered through expert professors and industry professionals with technical lectures and hands-on shop-floor sessions. Concludes with final examination and EICF Engineer Specialist Certificate. For IC professionals seeking technical depth.
• EICF Advanced Process Control Course Specialized course designed for professionals seeking to enhance expertise in optimizing and controlling investment casting processes. Delivered in partnership with the Metallurgy Research Centre of Azterlan.
• EICF Engineer Specialist Certificate Professional certification awarded to participants who complete the EICF Investment Casting Manufacturing Technology Course and pass the final examination. Recognized credential for IC manufacturing professionals.
• INCAST Magazine Industry magazine providing news, technical articles, and insights relevant to the investment casting community. Published by EICF for IC professionals and member organizations.
• Sustainability Guide E-learning platform resource (part of CHROMAFOR project) providing sustainability strategies and guidance adapted for the foundry sector, supporting UN Sustainable Development Goals.
• Conference Proceedings Technical publications and conference proceedings from EICF events available for download or purchase through the EICF online publications portal.
• Technical Standards European technical standards relevant to investment casting developed and promoted by EICF for the IC industry.
• Membership Directory Directory of EICF member companies including European investment foundries, industry suppliers, equipment producers, end-users, research centres, and universities with direct access to member websites for products, services and casting capabilities.
• EICF Newsletter Regular newsletter delivering news and updates relevant to the investment casting community, delivered via MailChimp to members and industry contacts.

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Brno University of Technology (BUT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Partnership for Investment Casting Manufacturing Technology courses. Faculty of Mechanical Engineering hosts the course, with professors and researchers from the Foundry Engineering Department delivering technical lectures and shop-floor sessions. Course grants EICF Engineer Specialist Certificate upon completion.
• Metallurgy Research Centre of AzterlancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 June 2024Conducts Advanced Process Control Course with professors and researchers from the centre. Course covers process optimization for investment casting with contributions from industry partners including ESI Group, MPI Systems, Consarc Engineering, CMG and Xris.
• CHROMAFOR ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 November 2023EU-funded project collaboration to develop e-learning platform for sustainability strategies adapted to the foundry sector. EICF provides access through its sustainability guide page.
• European Society of Association Executives (ESAE)minorOthers · 25 June 2021Leading European organization bringing together association professionals. Carlos Olabe (EICF Executive Director) appointed Board Member to facilitate exchange of best practices and incorporate best association practices into EICF governance.
• Union of International Associations (UIA)minorOthers · 22 June 2021Non-profit research institute under UN mandate documenting international organizations. EICF accepted as Active Member and listed in Yearbook of International Organizations covering ~73,000 international organizations worldwide.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CAEF (European Foundry Association): The umbrella European foundry association representing all casting processes at the EU policy level. Overlaps with EICF's industry representation work, particularly on EU regulation and standards development for foundries.
• Investment Casting Institute (ICI): The US-based equivalent of EICF, serving the North American investment casting industry through technical conferences, training, and standards. Operates as the closest direct counterpart in the global IC trade association ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• World Foundry Organization (WFO): Global organization representing the broader foundry industry, including investment casting alongside sand casting, die casting, and other processes. Overlaps with EICF on investment casting but covers the full casting technology spectrum.
• American Foundry Society (AFS): North America's largest metalcasting trade association, covering all casting processes including investment casting. Comparable to EICF in mission and structure but serving the broader US foundry ecosystem rather than specializing in IC.

Regional players

• Deutscher Gießereiverband (BDG): German foundry industry association, with significant overlap in German IC members of EICF. Represents the largest national foundry industry in Europe and shares standards and policy interests with EICF.
• British Foundry Association (BFA): UK national foundry trade association with overlapping member base to EICF, particularly in the British IC sector. EICF actually operated as a UK entity until 2019, making BFA a natural regional counterpart.

Others

• European Society of Association Executives (ESAE): Peer organization in the association management ecosystem. EICF CEO Carlos Olabe sits on the ESAE board, indicating direct professional engagement. Provides best-practice governance and operational guidance for trade associations like EICF.
• Union of International Associations (UIA): Research institute documenting international organizations, with EICF as an active member. Not a direct competitor but a peer in the international association ecosystem that provides visibility and governance frameworks relevant to EICF's AISBL structure.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCA-x_DDjUfb8FsJl5tNk8VA
• Instagraminstagram.com/eicforg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/european-investment-caster%C2%B4s-federation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about European Investment Casters' Federation