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On October 16, 2024, 30 lean management experts met for the VDMA Austria's fourth lean experience exchange in Maria Enzersdorf, Lower Austria, at Koenig & Bauer (AT), the world market leader for banknote printing presses.

The QM Corner showed how companies can become more successful with systematic opportunity and risk management in accordance with ISO 9001.

A study by Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft Köln Consult GmbH (IW Consult) on behalf of the ProduktionNRW cluster organized by VDMA.

The new EU packaging regulation (PPWR) brings with it far-reaching requirements for mechanical and plant engineering.

With over 220 participants, the Photonics Partnership Annual Meeting organised by Photonics21 took place in Brussels on May 15–16, 2025, bringing together leaders from science, industry and politics.

The Mechanical Engineering Summit in Berlin is the "place to be" for young entrepreneurs

With the revision of the industrial policy model, the state government is providing impetus for the further development of North Rhine-Westphalia as an industrial location - with the active involvement of VDMA NRW.

Mental health is a strategic success factor: investing in leadership, team spirit and culture reduces absenteeism and boosts motivation, innovation and employee loyalty.

The introduction of new US tariffs poses challenges for exporting companies. These trade policy measures can have a significant impact on cost calculation and risk distribution in international supply contracts.

Strengthen the resilience of your company. Our series of events shows ways through difficult economic times - compact, practical and future-orientated.

AI in quality management: exploiting opportunities, recognizing risks - at the QM Corner, experts discussed data protection, security and the responsible use of AI.

Customer training is an important after-sales service that can increase customer satisfaction and thus also strengthen customer loyalty. The offers must therefore be well thought out - but they must also be economically viable!

In economically difficult times, the VDMA supports its members with valuable information and personal advice. Together we will find the right course and strengthen the resilience of the companies.

Working capital management is of particular importance when focusing on liquidity. Here you will find the updated data for the guide.

The latest VDMA marketing survey 2025 in mechanical engineering offers comprehensive insights into the current marketing landscape. Compared to the previous period, the number of participants has increased by 42%.

Job advertisements remain a key element of successful recruitment. Artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to make job advertisements more target group-oriented and effective.

In mechanical and plant engineering, a comprehensive analysis of your own service offering is of crucial importance. This allows potential to be identified and utilized for the entire company.

Companies in the mechanical and plant engineering sector face various challenges: Supply chain problems, material shortages, rising costs and uncertain markets are making operations more difficult.

Crisis management in mechanical engineering: The practical guide from VDMA and Ebner Stolz shows how to future-proof your company by optimising your portfolio, purchasing and inventory management.

Customer requirements and their implementation are no longer defined only within one's own company, but must be developed in a joint value chain with cross-company teams, so that a holistic, resource-efficient value cycle is created.

Global supply chains are prone to disruption - from freight space shortages to geopolitical crises. Choosing the right Incoterms can help minimize risks, control costs and ensure delivery capability.

Managers face particular challenges in economically difficult times. They have to convey stability while experiencing uncertainty themselves.

Strengthening flexibility and resilience is essential for companies in the mechanical and plant engineering sector to successfully overcome crises and remain competitive in the long term.

The QM Corner stands for one topic, one hour and virtual. The session presented the possible applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in quality management.

In economically challenging times, companies face the difficult task of communicating restructuring, short-time work or even job cuts.

The VDMA NRW Board of Directors meeting focused on setting the political course: together with VDMA President Bertram Kawlath, the focal points of political lobbying and regional support were discussed.

The Incoterms define rules for the national and international movement of goods. The Incoterms 2020 are the latest version of these rules, which are updated every ten years by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

Efficient process management in mechanical and plant engineering is the basis for successful operation, competitiveness and innovative strength.

At the 23rd Financing Day of the mechanical and plant engineering industry in NRW, VDMA NRW focused on the data economy and corporate financing in challenging times.

The revision of ISO 9001 (2015 edition) has stalled. Publication is not expected until the end of 2026.

The workshop of the working group has set itself the goal of examining and proposing a system of key performance indicators broken down by company divisions.

Professional and personalised application management still has plenty of room for improvement in many cases. Low-threshold application processes (such as via WhatsApp) are an interesting new development.

China's mechanical engineering industry continues to catch up, products from the Far East are getting better and are almost always cheaper. China is not only striving for technological supremacy locally, but also internationally.

On September 12, 2024, the Executive Board of VDMA NRW met at LEMKEN GmbH & Co. KG. The agenda included the political representation of interests and the current economic situation in the mechanical engineering sector.

The different reporting obligations in the EU member states present companies with considerable bureaucratic challenges when it comes to work assignments. How can companies deal with this?

Since the beginning of the year, companies with a certified management system have had to ask themselves what impact their management system has on climate change.

The strategic integration of sustainability reporting obligations in companies is becoming increasingly important, as the increasing transparency requirements will affect a large proportion of SMEs in the future.

Overview of events on innovation

QM Corner stands for one topic, one hour and virtual. In the second session, the established format dealt with the topic of handling confidential documents and the role of quality management.

What's new in the area of export controls? What do you currently have to be prepared for in practice? The event addressed the most important developments.

Among other things, the event covered changes in the areas of ATLAS exports, carbon offset tax (CBAM) and customs clearance in third countries.

The VDMA salary survey provides a detailed overview of the status quo regarding the salaries of a good 160 typical positions in our industry.

Hiding and searching for colorful eggs and chocolate at Easter is great fun for young and old. But when important information is hard to find, the fun in the company stops. A good flow of information is what counts.

QM Corner stands for one topic, one hour and virtual. The established format will be continued in 2024. The first session dealt with the topic of sustainability and management systems.

Tools are helpful if they are suitable for the task and have been tried and tested in use. Unsuitable tools or their improper use often cause damage - both at the workbench and in organizations.

Addressing price-sensitive customers and markets with tailor-made quality products. This is the subject of the new study "Frugal innovations in mechanical and plant engineering" by the IMPULS Foundation of the VDMA.

Data is the blood of the complex organism of product development. The results report "Digital Product Development" by the WZL of RWTH Aachen University and the VDMA compactly shows how the many pieces of information can be effectively linked.