Culture Innovation - vdma.eu
Culture of innovation
If you want hard success, you should start soft
Increasing the ability to innovate in times of digitalization and "VUCA" has been in the spotlight of companies in our industry for several years. Especially following a crisis, it is crucial to be ready and prepared with the right business models as well as suitable systems and structures, and to break away from old habits.
The culture of innovation is an important basis and prerequisite for all efforts. If you want hard successes, you should start soft.
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VDMA members have the opportunity to meet innovative startups at Hannover Messe 2026. VDMA Startup-Machine organizes curated 1:1 matchmaking meetings for member companies with the aim of concrete collaborations.
The High-Tech Agenda Germany sets new research policy priorities. What is behind the agenda? What significance does it have for the mechanical and plant engineering industry? How is the VDMA involved in its implementation?
Our startup community is constantly growing. On this page, we introduce new startups - with a focus on their specific contribution to mechanical and plant engineering and possible points of contact for collaboration.
Mechanical engineering companies cooperate with startups to gain innovative strength, speed and new technological impetus. VDMA Startup-Machine supports with a new offer VDMA members in identifying suitable startups and preparing the initial contact.
Suitability assessment for wireless communications systems in industrial real-time applications
From idea to impact: How the Adobe Kickbox and the 10 commandments of innovation promote courage, speed and a culture of learning.
Who is driving the future of mechanical engineering? What characterizes real innovation? At the Startup Award Mechanical Engineering Summit, young technology companies show how progress is made in our industry.
Fresh ideas, smart solutions and strong networks emerge in the Startup Area at EMO 2025
In our theme publication you will find facts and figures on research and development, innovations and patents in machinery and equipment manufacturing.
Not "cheap", but precisely high-quality and therefore "inexpensive". This offers the mechanical and plant engineering industry opportunities not only for new markets, but also for established ones.
Ag Tech is an important enabler for the agribusiness of the future. With striking, sustainable technology solutions, the agricultural machinery industry will once again be presenting itself at Green Week 2026 under the umbrella of the VDMA.
Israel is a source of innovation and a startup hotbed for the mechanical engineering industry. The VDMA Innovation Tour Israel project introduces VDMA members to the Israeli innovation ecosystem.
A project map as a fence-building aid to change. Axel Weidner, managing partner of Mankenberg in Lübeck, talks about this, the 80 percent principle and the playful desire for robotization in this interview.
What is behind the much-heard terms incubator and accelerator? Using the example of Kärcher, Carina Traa and Andrea Veerkamp-Walz try to clarify the situation.
Uta Schmidt from MESTO shows paradoxes in dealing with errors depending on the context. A positive error culture requires discussion and a common understanding, self-reflection, role models and tools.
A crisis shows which companies are capable of finding answers to difficult challenges. The means of leadership to choose from are: stringent instructions from individuals or the power of self-organised teams.
Say nothing, see nothing, hear nothing - we are all familiar with this image of the three wise monkeys. This phenomenon can be observed among all groups of people, even in companies. Since there is usually also a hierarchical order in companies, however, additional "monkeys" can be observed here. Lean Management helps to work together effectively and efficiently in spite of this.
In April, the "Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft" started its new survey on research and development (R&D) in the industry in 2020. The results are highly significant.
Lean management complements agile methods perfectly. Especially for SMEs - also with batch size 1 - Lean offers exciting starting points. A report about errors and success factors.
There is great potential in the cooperation between startups and mechanical engineering. The prerequisite is that both parties find each other and master the challenges of cooperation. VDMA Startup-Machine helps companies to get started.
Currently there is a lot of talk about "agility". But: What are agile methods helpful for? What does it actually mean to become more "agile"? And what does all this mean for the topic of "leadership" in the company.
Vision and purpose of (not only) agile companies should be developed in a participative way. We show you how.
In the digitalisation environment, many companies want to become faster and more innovative - even in non-established fields. We show best practices on cooperation, hierarchy and leadership.
Especially after a crisis, it is important to start with the right business models and suitable systems and structures and to cut off old habits. The culture of innovation is an important prerequisite for all efforts.
Startups looking for access to the unique network of the European mechanical engineering industry have come to the right place at VDMA. As a platform, we support young companies in gaining a foothold in mechanical and plant engineering.
10. We do what we promise!
Events
Participants will gain a basic understanding of generation of noise in electric motors - whether in design, development, or testing. Non-electrical engineers will learn how they can specifically influence the acoustic behavior and be provided with practical tools for evaluation and optimization, including simple approximation formulas that can be used to estimate and classify typical noise phenomena - without in-depth knowledge of electrical engineering.
We are looking forward to the first meeting of our "Change in Action" series at AZO AZO GmbH + Co. KG in Osterburken in 2026.
This in-depth course is aimed specifically at developers with experience in OPC UA. It provides an introduction to the OPC UA Machinery (OPC 40001) standard. The necessary types and concepts of the base model and other relevant companion specifications (DI, Machinery, ISA 95) are presented. The participants will then learn about the various building blocks of the Machinery standard based on the use cases. Practical exercises deepen the understanding and enable the participants to apply the acquired knowledge directly to realistic examples.
This course is aimed at managers and product management and aims to provide a basic understanding of the relevance and applicability of OPC UA in the context of their own business area. The focus is on how the technology can contribute to increasing business efficiency.
The seminar will give you a general overview of possible methods that can be used to monitor the condition of your application - a machine, a gearbox or a function. Which procedures are established, when and how does it make sense to monitor lubricant, load or vibration? How can suitable limit values be determined? Current examples from aviation, general mechanical engineering and other applications round off the presentation.
The world of work is changing rapidly: AI has long since arrived in everyday corporate life. For those responsible for training, this means: act now: Those who do not systematically integrate AI into their training are risking quality, securing skilled workers - and losing touch with their learners.
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