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VDMA Materials Handling and Intralogistics: Sector growing thanks to Industry 4.0
The signs are pointing to growth: German intralogistics providers achieved an estimated production volume of 20.8 billion euros in 2016 (up 1% compared to 2015). "Although the international political and economic conditions worldwide remain unstable, the demand for Industry 4.0-capable solutions is increasing significantly. This is where German manufacturers stand out from the international competition with their high technological standards and quality," explains Dr. Klaus-Dieter Rosenbach, Chairman of the Board of the German Materials Handling and Intralogistics Association. For the current year 2017, the VDMA Materials Handling and Intralogistics Association is forecasting average growth of 3%. The development in individual sub-sectors may vary.
Networked solutions in demand
The demand for modern and future-proof intralogistics is particularly high in the European domestic market. Almost 60 percent of the total export volume of German intralogistics providers goes to other European countries. German manufacturers increased their exports by 6 percent to 8.5 billion euros.
"Industry 4.0 is now creating an enormous pull in the European single market. More and more companies are investing in networked technologies for their production and the associated logistics. This is reflected in the order books of German manufacturers, who are supplying the corresponding solutions," says Rosenbach. Demand in customer sectors such as the automotive industry and e-commerce remains high. "We are experiencing a change in material flows and supply chains as a result of growing online trade and increasingly networked production. These changes can only be mapped and shaped by intelligent intralogistics," says Rosenbach.
International business
Overall, exports by German intralogistics manufacturers fell slightly in 2016. They exported a volume of 13.5 billion euros, 2% less than in 2015. The USA remains the most important trading partner, with goods worth 1,072 million euros. It is followed by France in second place with 898 million euros and the UK in third place with 763 million euros. China, on the other hand, slipped to sixth place, with exports falling by 28% in 2016. "One reason for this is that many German manufacturers have their own production facilities in China. On the other hand, we are observing that Chinese manufacturers are serving the domestic market more than in the past"
explains Sascha Schmel, Managing Director of the VDMA Materials Handling and Intralogistics Association.
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