Incoming orders in mechanical engineering
Weak domestic market and special effects abroad
In September, incoming orders in the mechanical and plant engineering sector fell 4% short of the previous year's level in real terms.
While domestic orders fell by 16%, foreign orders maintained the previous year's level with the help of large-scale investment transactions. Orders from euro countries increased by 4%, while orders from non-euro countries fell by 1%. "The weak domestic demand is not surprising, companies are very unsettled. There is a lack of impetus from many sales markets. However, there is also a lack of a clear business-friendly course from the German government with measures that would stimulate new investments," says VDMA economic expert Olaf Wortmann.
The economic weakness in the mechanical and plant engineering sector is reflected even more clearly in the balance sheet for the first three quarters of the current year. From January to September, orders fell by a total of 8% in real terms compared to the previous year. Domestic orders in this period were 15% below the previous year's figure, while foreign orders fell by 5% (eurozone: minus 10%, non-eurozone: minus 4%).
In the third quarter of 2024, companies recorded a year-on-year decline in orders of 1% in real terms. From July to September, domestic orders were down 9%, while orders from abroad were up 2% (euro countries: down 1%, non-euro countries: up 3%).
You might also be interested in
Igus reaches one billion in sales and increases number of active customers
With 277 motion plastics innovations, igus is presenting a record number of lubrication-free plastic innovations in 2025 under the motto "Go Zero Lubrication": from PTFE-free materials and a complete energy chain series made of recycled material to...
read more...Partner country Canada shows the future
Under the motto "The future's here", Canada is showcasing its industrial strengths in areas such as automation, energy, digital transformation and green technologies.
read more...Canadian company receives Robotics Award
The Robotics Award 2025 was presented to the Canadian company Maple Advanced Robotics at the Hannover Messe press preview on February 19. The award-winning project MARI AARS is an AI-controlled robotics platform for fast and code-free programming.
read more...China overtakes Germany in the use of industrial robots
China has overtaken Germany in the use of robots in industry: China has moved up to third place in the world rankings with a robot density of 470 units per 10,000 employees. These are the findings of the World Robotics 2024 annual report published...
read more...Scholz on the Supply Chain Act: "It's going away"
At the Employers' Day in Berlin, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised to ease the burden on business by reducing bureaucracy, particularly with regard to the German Supply Chain Act. Scholz promised changes before the end of the year.
read more...VDMA: Special show for innovative production logistics
More and more driverless transport vehicles and mobile robots are on the move in production and logistics. With the associated automation, the interoperability of devices is becoming increasingly important and open communication interfaces such as...
read more..."Tougher sanctions unavoidable after atrocities"
VDMA President Karl Haeusgen comments on the EU's new sanctions against Russia, which are to include technology exports and Russian coal imports:
read more...Sustainability needs decisions
To mark Earth Day, Nagarro is calling for a rethink: sustainability should no longer be documented, but actively managed - with artificial intelligence as a central lever. Because AI brings light into the darkness of global supply chains.
read more...Kion significantly increases order intake
Kion holds its own in a difficult environment in 2025, increases order intake significantly and looks ahead to profitable growth in 2026 with a new segment name and efficiency gains.
read more...