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The tagline of this year’s 5th Engineering Summit was “Time to Change”. Engineering companies, plant construction companies and manufacturers of special purpose machinery face significant challenges in international competition, which they must address by transforming traditional business models and methods of project management. Political tension on the international stage, as well as competition from Asia and North America, remain issues of great concern to the industry. Organised for the fifth time by the German Engineering Federation (VDMA), the Engineering Summit in Mannheim on 4 and 5 July 2017 created a platform for around 300 senior representatives in the German mechanical and plant engineering sector to discuss the necessity of changing their approach on international markets. Detailed Report 5th Engineering Summit 2017.

2016-04-14 The current status report of the German Engineering Federation (VDMA) – stagnation or crisis?

The recently published status report of the VDMA's Large Industrial Plant Manufacturer’s Group (AGAB) makes a varied assessment of the current state of Germany's large industrial plant manufacturing sector. On the one hand, this was able to maintain the previous year's result in 2015. Given the lower raw material prices and fragile global economy, this may even be considered a success. However, there are growing indications that the visible stagnation could lead to losses in market share in the medium term. View more.

2016-02-19 Slumping oil prices and the impact on profitability of renewable energy sources.

Most German consumers have welcomed the rapid fall in oil prices with a sigh of relief. On average, motorists will spend 500 euros less on petrol this year. The fact that German exporters are receiving fewer orders from commodity-producing countries appears less significant – at least at first glance. Ultimately, North America and China have so far offset the reduced demand from Saudi Arabia and Russia. But now some experts also fear for the renewable energy sector.  View more

2016-01-25 Controversy Involving the Expansion Volumes of Wind Energy Systems in Germany.

The wind energy industry is experiencing a real boom at the moment. The 546 on-line offshore wind systems in total in 2015 were not all built in just the past year. However, their connection to the system means that the technical problems were able to be solved.  After may years of delays, the billion-Euro projects could finally unleash their potential. The total output of 792 systems in total is currently 3,294.9 megawatts, according to the German Federal Wind Energy Association (BWE). More than two million households in Germany are supplied with the energy produced. View more.

2016-01-19 Outlook for the German mechanical and plant engineering sector in 2016. A forecast made by 1155PM consultants GmbH

How will the mechanical and plant engineering sector develop over the coming year? This is the issue on the minds of numerous experts, especially if one considers that the industry is crucial to the development of Germany’s export sector as a whole. The start of a new year is a good time to make a final assessment of the previous 12 months and to provide an outlook for the year ahead. The dry numbers confirm that despite the large number of uncertainties, the industry has produced a solid result. The sanctions imposed on Russia, for instance, did not lead to a decline in overall performance. The positive development in business with North America and Asia made a vital contribution to keeping nominal production volumes on a high level at €199 billion. Nevertheless, the industry as a whole returned zero growth in 2015. View more.

2015-12-01/02 4th Engineering Summit – The industry is on the right track to meet future requirements. A report by 1155PM consultants GmbH.

The German mechanical and plant engineering sector enjoys a superb reputation around the world for the outstanding quality of its products. But the political tension with Russia and the competition by Asian and North American manufacturers are becoming increasingly worrying factors within the industry. The Engineering Summit, organised for the fourth time by the German Engineering Federation (VDMA) on 1 and 2 December 2015 in Mannheim, offered 300 top-level representatives from companies within the mechanical and plant engineering sector an ideal opportunity to take stock. Detailed Report 4th Engineering Summit 2015