Posts Tagged Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineering: falling exports in the first quarter
June 3rd, 2013 | Thema: News
The slow development of economic activity on world markets was also noticeable in the export statistics of the German mechanical engineering sector in the first quarter of 2013. According to current figures from the Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau (VDMA, or German Engineering Federation), mechanical engineering exports fell in the first quarter by a nominal 5.8 per cent from 37.3 billion euros to 35.2 billion euros in comparison with the previous year. In the EU-27 countries, to which 40.2 per cent of exports go, German mechanical engineers posted a minus of 9.1 per cent. In China, which with a share of exports of eleven per cent is the most important market outside the EU, companies made 3.6 per cent fewer sales. After high growth US exports declined by 4.3 per cent in annual comparison. Mechanical engineering exports to the important markets of Brazil and India had a fall in double figures on the previous year’s values.
In the first quarter of 2013 mechanical engineers’ business went better with South East Asia (plus 5.3 per cent), Saudi Arabia (plus 9.2 per cent) and Turkey (plus 8.9 per cent). Exports to North African countries also achieved higher rates of increase again.
New orders in mechanical engineering at previous year’s level
April 2nd, 2013 | Thema: News
New orders in mechanical and plant engineering in Germany moved at exactly the same level as in the previous year in February 2013, i.e. plus-minus zero. Domestic business went up by two per cent but foreign business was one per cent below the previous year’s level, the Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau (VDMA, or German Engineering Association) has just reported. In the three month comparison from December 2012 to February 2013, which is less influenced by short-term, fluctuations, there is an overall plus of one per cent in comparison with the previous year. Domestic orders were at minus one per cent, foreign orders at plus two per cent.
Thus, according to the VDMA’s assessment the, “rather unspectacular business activity oriented on holding onto what has been reached continued.” This was also reflected in orders in hand, which at 5.8 months corresponded exactly to last October’s level.
German mechanical engineering with higher R&D budgets in 2011
December 19th, 2012 | Thema: News
In 2011 mechanical engineering companies in Germany spent around five billion euros on internal research and development. In addition, they awarded orders for external research and development of an amount of nearly 600 million euros. These figures have now been calculated by the Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau (VDMA, or German Engineering Federation) from a survey of its members. According to the survey, R&D expenditures in mechanical engineering in 2011 amounted to 5.5 billion euros in total, nine per cent more than in 2010.
Internal R&D expenditures rose by seven per cent in comparison with the previous year, external expenditures by 27 per cent. Thus the proportion of external R&D funds of the total R&D budget in mechanical engineering reached double figures at eleven per cent for the first time since these VDMA statistics have been collated. The number of employees in research departments also rose with expenditures. The number of these staff grew by six per cent in mechanical engineering to a good 40,000. According to the survey, in company planning there is a further increase in R&D expenditures of three per cent in 2012, but next year a slight decline is expected. However, these plan figures also have to be treated with great uncertainty, according to the VDMA.
15,000 unfilled positions in mechanical engineering in Germany
October 1st, 2012 | Thema: News
970,000 people work full time in the 3,000 member companies of the Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbauer (VDMA, or German Engineering Federation). The VDMA has just reported that the number of employees in mechanical engineering in June 2012 had risen by five per cent in comparison with the previous year. The highest level of employment during the last three years of 963,000 employees in January 2009 was thus exceeded by 7,000 employees. The low was in May 2010 at 901,000 employees.
At the same time mechanical engineers are having difficulties filling unfilled positions. According to information from the Federation, 1,800 situations vacant were reported in the sector to the Federal Employment Agency in August alone. “There are a total of 15,000 unfilled positions in mechanical engineering,” explained VDMA Chief Executive Officer Dr Hannes Hesse.
VDMA forecast for 2013: mechanical engineering up two per cent
September 10th, 2012 | Thema: News
The VDMA (German Engineering Federation) has now presented its forecast for next year: it assumes that German machinery production will increase by two per cent in 2013. At the same time the VDMA economists have put their forecast for this year up to two per cent as well. Back in February they had forecast that German machinery production would not grow this year.
According to VDMA figures, in the first half of 2012 machinery production was four per cent up on the previous year. In the first quarter, machinery production increased by a good eight per cent (+8.1 per cent). In the second quarter it was more or less the same as the previous year (+0.2 per cent). As for the rest of the year, the VDMA estimates that decreases in orders in the first half of the year will be slightly more noticeable in machinery production, and so the annual figure will show a rise of about two per cent.