ASOCIACION

COLOMBIANA DE PART II
INDUSTRIAS
PLASTICAS
(ACOPLASTICOS)
Presented by:
Allen Glennie P. Lambert
Oliver Michael C. Narreto
 Started with a fixed investment of US$ 7 million plus additional
funds for staff.
7 engineers sent to Germany to enhance human resources
capabilities
The opening date for activities was February 22, 1993
1st year of operations: Theft of equipment valued at $300,000
threatened ICIPCs ability to function
Loan from IFI, then awarded by a grant of $300,000 by the
Colombian Govt.
 Acoplasticos viewed its relationship with ICIPC as an important resource
that distinguished the organization from most other industry associations.
ICIPC offered a number of services for cluster companies
Specialized technology training
Process and product development consulting
Laboratory services
Applied R&D
Also offers courses and seminars on a range of plastics technology-related topics
and produced various academic and practitioner-oriented services
ICIPC maintained relationships with technology centers in Germany,
Spain, and the United States.
This enable ICIPC to keep abreast of ongoing innovations in plastics
and rubber technologies.
 NATIONAL NETWORK

U. P. B. Universidad U. de A.
CIDI EAFIT Dpto. de Qumica

Universidad Universidad
ICIPC Nacional
de los Andes
Medelln

SENA RCT CTA

ACOPLASTICOS
COLCIENCIAS PROANTIOQUIA
 INTERNATIONAL NETWORK
GERMANY USA
IKT IKV DIK VDI Univ. de Madison
Wisconsin Group

ITALY ECUADOR
ASSOCOMAPLAST ICIPC ASEPLAS

SPAIN

Univ. del
CIDAUT Pas Vasco CYTED
Instituto de
Nuevos
Materiales
 ACOPLASTICOS
Competitive Disadvantage: High energy cost, low R & D investments, and a
shortage of specialized technology skills
Improved clusters Productivity, competitiveness and develop it skills in
assessing changes in the clusters needs overtime
Back to
1990 continued to expand its traditional government relations and data
collection (used for analysis and statistics).
- considered one of Colombia's most successful industry associates.
- 66% of National output
2000 started ColombiaPlast Trade Fair
2002 budget - $400.000.00
- 22 full time employees
- 22 board of directors
 ACOPLASTICOS
Engaged in a number of government forums.
Worked to eliminate remaining tariffs on critical imports of equipment and raw
materials
Seeking to reduce barriers to its exports in foreign markets
Active in the area of environmental policy
Working with the government on the design and implementation of recycling
and pollution abatement regulations to achieve environmental
improvements without imposing undue hardship on firms in the cluster
Served as members on the board of directors of a number of public institutions
as appointed by the Colombian government.
Colombian Central Bank
National Planning Council
Proexport (nontraditional export promotion agency)
Bogota Regional Planning Council
 ACOPLASTICOS
Founding member of ICONTEC (Instituto Colombiano de Normas Tcnicas y
Certificacin) - a nonprofit Colombian Technical Standards Institute.
- is a non-profit private Colombian organization that oversees
the compliance of national and international standards.
 ACOPLASTICOS
In 1998 & 2001 had signed competitive accords with the government.
to advance the competitiveness of the relevant industry/cluster.
this includes government commitments to reduce tariffs on imported
equipment
and company commitments to implement a plastic collection and
recycling program which is developed by Acoplasticos.
Maintained extensive databases on the plastics and rubber cluster in
Colombia and international markets.
Annual publications of statistics and analysis
Provides daily updates to its members regarding relevant regulatory
and other policy decisions by national and local government bodies.
As port of its information gathering activities, Acoplasticos
participated in various trade fairs and conferences in Colombia,
Europe and the US.
 CHALLENGES IN 2002
CHALLENGES
The need to continue upgrading technical skills in the cluster was acute due to
weak domestic and international demand
Mandatory contributions to Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje (SENA) reduced the
financial resources available to firms to acquire more specialized training:
Acoplasticos hope to encourage Colombian govt. to remove restrictions on co-
financing programs
Dependence of the cluster on imported raw material inputs(supply-chain)
STRATEGIES
Garay exploring strategic partnerships with leading plastics and rubber industry
associations abroad
Upgrading the Website of Acoplasticos to facilitate communications
Government policies relating to trade, foreign investment and environmental
Protection (Andean Trade Promotion and Drug eradication Act)
 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

1. What role has the Asociacin Colombiana de Industrias Plsticos
(Acoplsticos) played in the competitiveness of the Colombian plastics
cluster? How has the role of Acoplsticos changed since the early 1980s?
Intense Lobbying efforts it obtained tariff reduction and hard currency
access for raw materials, machinery, and equipment imports while retaining
tariff protection for finished products.
Provide employment
Spearheaded the creation of a non-profit technology center (ICIPC)
Government relations and data collection activities (extensive database
and collected specialized data)
Engage in Government Forums and Trade Fairs (ColombiaPlast Trade)
Active in Environmental policy: Recycling and Pollution abatement
regulations
2. How would you measure the effectiveness of Acoplasticos? How could the
organization be more effective?
SWOT Analysis
Strengths of Acoplasticos
Didnt stop on just to lobby but grows into improving the productivity of their
respective affiliates (clusters).
Involvement in R&D by establishing ICIPC
Maintained extensive databases on the plastics and rubber cluster in Colombia
and international markets.
Active in environmental policy thru recycling and pollution abatement
regulations to achieve environmental improvements.
Engaged in a number of government forums and trade fairs.
Signed competitiveness accords with the Colombian government in 1998 and
2001.
2. How would you measure the effectiveness of Acoplasticos? How could the
organization be more effective?
Weakness of Acoplasticos
Reduced financial resources due to mandatory contribution to SENA which they
find the program inadequate for many of the sophisticated skill requirements of
the cluster.
Communication problems inline with their plans on exploring strategic
partnership with leading plastics and rubber industry associations abroad
Opportunities
Divert up to 50% of their SENA contribution to a certified institution such as ICIPC
for more needed specialized training.
Upgrading their websites.
Finding alternative raw materials that can be used for production and can be
seen locally
Intensify recycling and using it as part of raw mats.
Treats
Critical supply-chain problem - Dependence on imported raw material inputs
3. Why do institutions for collaboration exist in market economies? Why can't
their activities be performed as effectively by firms or by government
entities?
this goes with the saying together we stand, divided we fall! there is
strength in collaboration compared to just doing it alone.
It is hard to a firm to lobby or request tariff reduction on their needed raw
materials.
Being an association such as Acoplasticos (along with different clusters), they
were successful in obtaining tariff reduction and hard currency access for raw
materials, machinery and equipment imports.
In the part of the government collaborating with other nations like the EU,
ASEAN, NAFTA, etc., creates liberalization to trade, exchange of good
governance practices and better outputs and outcomes.
GRACIAS : BUENA SUERTE
 REFERENCES
This presentation is based on the Michael Porter and Willis Emmons case
study for Harvard Business School for Microeconomics of Competitiveness