From world leader to mass layoffs: the Nidec Arisa case

Nidec Arisa: from building the world's largest press to mass layoffs

It was the world leader in automotive presses. It built the largest servo press on the planet for Volkswagen, competing with German and Austrian giants. Ten years later, the same company announced mass layoffs that left the entire workforce on the street. The Nidec Arisa case encapsulates the deindustrialization of the West.

The rise and fall of an industrial giant

In 2021, Nidec Arisa, a Spanish-Japanese company, created the world's largest servo press for Gestamp, a milestone that positioned it as a global benchmark in capital goods for the automotive industry. It had brought production from Canada, invested in expansions, and generated hundreds of skilled jobs. However, in June 2026, the company announced mass layoffs that affected all workers. The know-how acquired over decades evaporated overnight.

The Chinese factor: prices impossible to match

Those familiar with the sector are not surprised. Chinese prices for capital goods are up to six times lower than European ones, with quality that already equals or surpasses Western standards. The efficiency of Chinese workers, combined with industrial synergies that Europe has lost, make competing a pipe dream. While European bureaucracy makes every step more expensive, China manufactures faster and cheaper.

Hyperregulation: the burden that kills the idea before the prototype

Another factor cited is the tangle of regulations. You cannot manufacture, invent, or test anything without a permit. A century ago, a revolutionary invention was born in a bicycle workshop. Today, the idea dies before the prototype is sketched. There are more employees dedicated to creating and certifying standards than to producing. The result: a hostile environment for industry, which ends up moving to where rules don't suffocate.

The paradox is cruel: Spain boasts of having world-leading companies, but does not retain them. The Nidec Arisa case is just a symptom of a silent hemorrhage that, if not remedied, will leave the country without its own industrial capacity. In ten years, no one will know how to build those presses. And then, what good will the narrative do?

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