The Projects objective was the promotion of productivity and international competitiveness of the metalworking and automotive components industry in the region of Cordoba. The activities concentrated on three levels:

Institutional support and qualification of the partner organisation CIMCC:

• Improvement of CIMCC's infrastructure: informatics net, databases and catalogues, sample showroom of CIMCC members products etc. Introduction and marketing of new demand oriented services for CIMCC members:
  • training programmes for entrepreneurs, managers and operational personnel on: Continuous Improvement Process, Total Quality Management (TQM), marketing, financial matters, economical use of energy, environmental improvements (ISO 14000),
  • setting up of an Information and Contact Centre with access to the international trade information system "Trade Point",
  • Organisation of participation of members in international fairs: ICO Córdoba, FISA Santiago de Chile, Automechanika Frankfurt, AUTOMEC and MECANICA Sao Paulo- Training of trainers and multipliers: facilitators of the Continuous Improvement Process based on the theory of Constraints, trainers and advisors in Total Quality Management (TQM), training of trainers for Welders (international standard).
  
• Direct support to individual companies via CIMCC
  • Introduction of Total Quality Management (TQM) according to international standards: ISO 9000, EAQF, QS 9000, introduction of the Continuous Improvement Process. These programmes were developed, tested on pilot base and implemented in co-operation with the partner organisation and international experts. Until the end of the project about 40 companies were certified by international institutions in quality standards, mainly automotive component producers.
  • Entrepreneurship training CEFE (Creation of Enterprises
  • Formation of Entrepreneurs) training of trainers for the participants of Córdoba's incubator Institutional Network Building.
  • Joint activities of institutions on regional, national and international level.

The devaluation of the Brazilian Real in 1999, especially in the automotive and components industry, has had the effect of reducing income and consequently the development prospects of the CIMCC and its members. As a consequence of this the Project has concentrated its efforts in the areas of efficiency/productivity gains through organisational change, and improved management, as well as support in the commercialisation of the firms through their participation in the global market.