For over eight months now, our masked world has been living to the rhythm of pandemic statistics and the introduction, easing and re-introduction of lockdowns, as we wait for some semblance of freedom to return. In these anxious times, the high-precision industry has had to deal with blows to the aviation and automotive sectors and, to a lesser extent, watchmaking, jewellery and medtech. The strength of these sectors has been sorely tested, and the future has looked uncertain. But there is a post-COVID world, and it is being built right now!

Should we resign ourselves to the prevailing fatalism or actively nurture the hope of better days ahead? You may not have been able to come together to give our struggling market a much-needed boost, but the EPHJ Show wants to prove that this crisis has done nothing to lessen the expertise and innovation of its exhibitors. Many watchmaking, jewellery, microtechnology and medical suppliers have used this period to develop projects, ideas and new products, to acquire certifications and to make improvements.

Those who wished to showcase their technological advances at our 2020 EPHJ have had to take a different approach. In some cases this has meant exploring digital options such as our EPHJ media, whether it be this newsletter, the EPHJ app, our website, our LinkedIn page or our Twitter account. These companies provide ample proof that the crisis can foster, rather than inhibit, innovation.
This EPHJ newsletter is a perfect example of that. Machining and high-precision tools are becoming more sophisticated and efficient. Quality controls and micro-precision checks are getting even more rigorous, and material traceability more demanding. Subcontractors are adapting and coming up with new solutions.

There is a post-COVID world, and it is being built right now!

EPHJ