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Innovative startups and established industrial companies can achieve great things together and make a significant contribution to the digitalization and competitiveness of domestic industry.

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.

The startup VibroCut can look back on a very successful participation in the EMO Startup Area 2025. The company was already represented in 2023 - this year, however, the response was once again significantly increased.

FACTUREE celebrated its debut at the EMO Startup Area 2025, resulting in a successful appearance with numerous valuable contacts and plenty of tailwind for the future.

Five days full of entrepreneurial spirit, innovations and new contacts: From September 22 to 26, 2025, over 50 international startups at EMO Hannover showed that the world of production technology is on the move.

The final of the Startup Award 2025 was a highlight of the 15th German Mechanical Engineering Summit in Berlin. Three outstanding startups presented their innovations live on stage - in the end the audience decided and the victory went to RESONIKS.

The expert audience has made its decision: with its acoustic AI solution that detects even the smallest defects in metals, the Dutch startup RESONIKS prevailed over two other finalists in the live vote for the Startup Award.

Fresh ideas, smart solutions and strong networks emerge in the Startup Area at EMO 2025

The VDMA Startup-Machine is launching its own eNewsletter! From now on, we will inform you quarterly about exciting topics from our network, current trends and participation opportunities.

In the EMO Startup Area from September 22 to 26, 2025, startups presented new platform models and digital services for smart workflows and future-oriented business processes. Find out more about the exhibiting startups!

In the EMO Startup Area, startups presented solutions for Smart Factory & Digital Enablement from September 22 to 26, 2025. The focus: AI, IoT, process digitalization and cybersecurity. Find out more about the exhibiting startups!

In the EMO Startup Area from September 22 - 26, 2025, startups presented new components, production processes and machine solutions that make manufacturing more efficient and competitive. Find out more about the exhibiting startups!

Innovative solutions, smart technologies and international networking for the wood industry - a review of a successful second edition of LIGNA.FutureSquare 2025.

It is right to combine the topic of startups and scaleups with an EU strategy. After all, startups drive Europe's innovative strength and future viability.

Shaping the future with startup power: 48 promising startups presented themselves at bauma 2025, setting new impulses for the construction machinery industry with their fresh ideas and technologies.

The Startup Area @ LIGNA.FutureSquare went into the next round. From May 26 to 30, 2025, 14 startups from four countries presented their pioneering solutions for the industry at LIGNA, the world's leading trade fair for woodworking and wood processing.

At LIGNA.FutureSquare 2025, the startup improvem from Austria showed how the digital twin makes wood processing more transparent, efficient and sustainable - for smarter production processes and future-proof companies.

Revolutionizing intralogistics with intelligent wood-based materials - that is ligenium's mission. The startup, which was already nominated for the 2023 Mechanical Engineering Summit Startup Award, presented itself for the first time at LIGNA.FutureSquare 2025.

After a successful debut at LIGNA.FutureSquare 2023, the Polish startup Deeplai was back at the Startup Area this year. Deeplai brings state-of-the-art AI technologies to the wood industry.

At bauma 2025, startups showed how pioneering technologies and creative solutions can transform the construction industry.

More efficient project management, autonomous robots and AI-supported innovations for a sustainable construction industry.

bauma 2025 highlighted startups that are pioneering the transition to zero-emission and sustainable practices in the construction sector.

At bauma 2025, startups played a key role in the transformation of the mining industry towards greater efficiency, safety and sustainability.

At bauma 2025, startups presented their innovative drive concepts tailored to the specific requirements of the construction industry.

VDMA bundles its activities in the area of "Research and Innovation" and establishes a new joint office. Research and innovation processes can thus be further optimized. Dr. Eric Maiser and Martin Nitsche take over from Dietmar Goericke.

VDMA Startup-Machine and prototype.club are promoting innovation in mechanical engineering with a new innovation format. Find out more about successful projects and how you can benefit from them as a member company.

Discover startup contacts and trends for mechanical engineering worldwide? The digital startup search platform helps you get started with startup scouting and find suitable partners.

Tracking down startup trends and contacts for mechanical engineering worldwide - this is the mission we pursue with our startup scouting services. This is made possible by the Startup Radar project. Find out here how we can help you keep an eye on international startup activity and identify suitable partners.

When it comes to future topics, we at Future Business and Startup-Machine are exactly the right people to talk to.

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.

An unparalleled concentration of expertise - that's what the world's largest presentation forum for machine vision stands for. At the Industrial VISION Day you will find out about the latestes cutting-edge developments in the machine vision industry.

42 percent of AI startups for mechanical engineering come from Europe. Process optimization, visual quality control and predictive maintenance as key innovation fields. Financing is lacking in Europe.

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!

Start-up methods and collaboration - we work closely with mechanical engineering companies and start-ups to find out how it's done. We offer various support services for knowledge transfer: from hands-on workshops, studies and best-practice reports to innovation tours.

Mechanical engineering and start-ups are working together more and more frequently - and with success: three out of five collaborations are successful in the long term. But the potential is far from exhausted.

As a platform for mechanical engineering and startups, we bring both parties together. From startup pitches and startup areas at industry trade fairs to matchmaking: we create meeting places, build networks and initiate partnerships.

With the VDMA Startup Radar, we now support members even better in screening global startup trends and in tracking down suitable cooperation partners from the international startup scene

Startups are also playing an increasingly important role in mechanical and plant engineering. Many companies are looking for partnerships to jointly conquer new fields of technology. The VDMA's new Startup Radar helps navigate the global startup scene - and lists more than 3,000 startups with relevance for mechanical engineering.

Startups are a fountain of youth for mechanical engineering: With VDMA Startup-Machine, we offer a platform that brings the two together and supports them in their collaboration. So you can benefit from it.