Production volume up 7 percent
German intralogistics sector grows again
German intralogistics providers ended 2019 with an estimated production volume of 24.7 billion euros, an increase of 7% compared to the previous year.
In view of the global uncertainties and economic fluctuations, the good business performance of the past year underlines the megatrends that remain stable, in particular e-commerce and the globalization of supply chains. Manufacturers had already recorded strong growth in 2018, which continued well into 2019. "Incoming orders have lost momentum in some areas of our industry in recent months. After the very strong previous years, we therefore expect a slight decline in production of minus 1% for the industry as a whole in the current year. However, it is important to note that the medium- and long-term growth drivers of our industry are and will remain intact," emphasizes Gordon Riske, Chairman of the Executive Board of KION GROUP AG and Chairman of the Executive Board of the VDMA Materials Handling and Intralogistics Association.
Solutions from German materials handling and intralogistics manufacturers are in high demand worldwide. In 2019, German manufacturers increased their exports by 5% to 16.7 billion euros. The USA remains the most important trading partner with an export volume of just under 1.7 billion euros. It was followed by France with 1.5 billion euros and the Netherlands with 819 million euros. The European domestic market remains the most important customer for German materials handling and intralogistics solutions. The export volume to other European countries amounted to 10.5 billion euros in 2019, 4% more than in 2018.
German conveyor technology and intralogistics providers are concentrating on the development of Industry 4.0 solutions that give their customers significant competitive advantages. The focus here is on networking intralogistics systems with each other, but also with other systems. This can be achieved, for example, via the open communication standard OPC UA, for which the VDMA and its member companies are developing the grammar - known as Companion Specifications. The Materials Handling and Intralogistics Association and its members are also active in this area. This technological leadership ensures the competitiveness of manufacturers, even in politically and economically challenging times.
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