New Financial Approaches for the Economic Sustainability in Manufacturing Industry

Equipment finance is becoming a crucial task in the manufacturing sector, where the value of production systems can be considerable and the appropriate financing choice can impact on company competitiveness for years. Several variables, requiring new interdisciplinary competencies and approaches, have to be evaluated by companies while taking financial decisions. A survey realised in "Next - Next Generation Production Systems" FP6 European project revealed that a new financial culture and adequate instruments are needed to sustain European manufacturing competitiveness. This paper proposes a structured approach for the selection of suitable financial methods supporting the acquisition of production capacity in the frame of innovative manufacturing business models.