Level 2 minimal - vdma.org
September 15 and 16, 2025, Hamburg. Discounted participation for VDMA members.
Imparting technical knowledge – Experts advise you individually
Product safety is a valuable asset, especially when modern technology is involved.
We, the Micro Technologies department of VDMA EMINT, would like to create a research guide for our members with relevant research institutes from the world of microtechnology. The aim is to give our members an overview of the research landscape and thus an easy tool for finding potential project partners.
Strategic compass for the future: The special edition of the trend radar contains around 40 new topics that will play a decisive role in the future of mechanical and plant engineering.
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.
From bionics to biointelligence – Advances in biology and its fusion with technology and IT are opening up a whole new dimension for machine makers to solve the current challenges of our time. The Scenario Study shows how this can be achieved.
"Collective intelligence" and interdisciplinary collaboration for a heterogeneous industry: Around 50 colleagues support the Competence Center Future Business with their specialist expertise.
CERN experts interviewed for you. Exclusive video footage and presentations for members on the exclusive follow-up event to our sixth Future Business Summit.
Services in mechanical engineering: The focus is already on people, digitization and sustainability. Will everything be new, will everything be different in the next decade? Four scenarios in the 8th study of the future.
The industrial working group research and technology uniquely connects our members with their customers and suppliers.
In 2020, the market environment for large-scale plant engineering was dominated by the effects of the Corona crisis and a slowdown in global economic momentum.
Complex topics, well-structured, easy to use: scenario deep dives convey orientation knowledge with bite, key factors and recommendations for action, presented in top-class summits.
Makerspaces are freely accessible workshops with high-tech equipment. Ideal for machine makers – e.g. for trying new technology, meeting startups, or sustainability gains and training of own staff.
Nine very successful years for VDMA Future Business: from the start in 2016 until today, trend scouting, foresight and the start-up network have been important drivers for members and the association!
The Competence Center Future Business was founded by the VDMA Executive Board in 2015. Clear benefit for members: identify trends and disruptions at an early stage and prepare for change.
All the content of the VDMA Future Business Trend Radar is available digitally on our platform. This makes them more easily accessible for research, presentation and customization, including a variety of features. Try it out now!
Diving into the ocean of trends: a brief introduction to categories and dimensions of trend analysis, how we lower hurdles for companies, and current examples - from AI to the circular economy.
The 360-degree view: trends and disruptions that could become relevant for the machinery and equipment industry in the coming years and decades, concisely presented as trend cards for download.
At the 3rd VDMA Future Business Summit, more than 80 participants discussed the hot topic of Power-to-X as a building block for global climate protection and the associated opportunities for the mechanical engineering industry. Presentations and pictures for download.
Future study shows how progress in measuring and testing technology affects competitiveness. Digitalization and new measuring methods from biology and quantum technology are key factors.
The effects of digitalization, networking, new measurement principles from biotechnology and quantum technology, simulation, virtualization and cost pressure on measurement technology. New players, specialists and business models - the scenario study shows development opportunities for 2030 and beyond.
At HANNOVER MESSE - Digital Days on 15 July, the guide and descriptions of nine use cases on 5G in mechanical and plant engineering will be published. The occasion is the VDMA panel discussion "5G in mechanical engineering: from technology push to market pull". The guide and the use cases have been available exclusively to VDMA members since April 2020.
From bionics and bioeconomy to "biointelligence": Biologization could have a similarly far-reaching impact on mechanical engineering as digitalization. This is shown by Trendradar and the 7th future study by VDMA Future Business.
With the 5G in mechanical and plant engineering guide and the use cases, the VDMA supports its members in identifying the potential applications and challenges of 5G.
Whether masks or surgical gowns, the manufacture of the textile starting material is the first step in the multi-stage production process. Members of the VDMA are at the beginning of this technological chain.
Use cases for the guide - a practice-oriented tool for 5G applications (as of 2020 - current to date).
At the 5th VDMA Future Business Summit, around 60 participants from industry and research discussed the opportunities offered by a digitized recycling economy for mechanical engineering and heard what is already possible today.
Digitalization offers great opportunities for faster implementation of circular economy. Machine makers are solution providers and stakeholders at the same time. We show development opportunities for 2030+.
Future study shows: Digitalization can become the decisive instrument for spreading and accelerating the circular economy and lead to opportunities through new business models.
Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Microsystems and Solid State Technologies (EMFT) conducts cutting-edge applied research on sensors and actuators for people and the environment.
The Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK) is a department of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Freiburg, which stands for interdisciplinary high-tech research with an application focus.
The Fraunhofer IMWS is a methodologically oriented Fraunhofer Institute working in the disciplines of materials science and materials engineering.
Hahn-Schickard develops intelligent products with microsystems technology.
The Usability & Interaction Technology Laboratory (UniTyLab) is a research institute of the Heilbronn Univer-sity of Applied Sciences and was founded in 2013 under the direction of Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gerrit Meixner.
With nearly 1,200 employees, the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing, Engineering and Automation – Fraunhofer IPA for short – is one of the largest Institutes in the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.
Below you will find an overview of relevant research institutes in the field of electronics manufacturing as one tool for identifying potential project partners.
The Fraunhofer Institute for Microengineering and Microsystems IMM (short form Fraunhofer IMM) is a constituent entity of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.
Working Group Hybrid Lightweight Technologies expands guide to manufacturing and joining processes
How will digitalization and the autonomization of value chains change mechanical engineering by 2030? Answers were provided at the 4th VDMA Future Business Summit. Presentations and pictures for download.
Where answers count and expertise is required: At VDMA Photovoltaik Equipment, you receive all the services the industry needs in Germany. Professional and reliable, we are the drive and backing for your company. We catch the top themes and create values for you.
Digitalization and networking are powerful drivers for the future of value creation networks worldwide. This is transforming production, the economy and society as a whole - and therefore concerns all machine and plant manufacturers! Our fourth scenario study in the series "Images of the future for mechanical and plant engineering" for download :: For members
Ambitious climate protection and greenhouse gas neutrality require major efforts in all sectors. Power-to-X, the conversion of electricity into other forms of energy, can make a significant contribution - our third scenario study in the series "Images of the future for mechanical and plant engineering" for download :: For members
AutoNews provides an up-to-date overview of the automotive and supplier industry and a summary of investments, locations, mergers and cooperations.
At the second VDMA Future Business Summit in Darmstadt, everything revolved around material innovations that will be important for mechanical engineering in 2030. Presentations and pictures for download :: For members
New materials have always fueled progress and are crucial for products and production. A look into the future - from lightweight construction and 3D printing to digitalization and sustainability.
Future materials are drivers of innovation and form the second trend topic in our series "Images of the future for mechanical and plant engineering". Results report of the scenario workshops for download.
The first VDMA Future Business Summit on 25.11.2016 was all about artificial intelligence, self-learning systems and data scientists. Lectures and pictures for download.
Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence are the first topic in our series "Future Business Scenarios for Mechanical and Plant Engineering". The study is available for members to download.
From self-organization of production to self-learning systems: Machine learning, a sub-area of artificial intelligence, will take Industry 4.0 to a new level.
