Training and qualification are of fundamental importance in the high-tech mechanical and plant engineering sector – in particular in times of demographic change and specialist staff shortages. That is why “Profession and Training” is one of the VDMA’s core topics to which it is devoting a great deal of attention and commitment. It is also committed to education policy at every level, i.e. the next generation of young talents, the quality of vocational training courses and academic success in the STEM subjects.

The legal framework and the structure of the tax policy are important aspects for companies in the mechanical and plant engineering sector in Germany. With regard to the core topic “Law and taxes”, VDMA has a team of experienced commercial lawyers specialized in the requirements of the investment goods industry. Together with the experts from the VDMA Berlin office and the European Office in Brussels, the association represents the legal interests of its members and states its position in the political environment.

The mechanical engineering sector predominantly lives off its export success. “Markets and economy” is an important core topic of VDMA, which offers its member companies an extensive service portfolio. This includes detailed market and country information, trade fair and events in Germany and abroad as well as expert knowledge on the entire spectrum of export topics.

In its double role as supplier and user, the mechanical and plant engineering sector has a central role with regard to energy and resource efficiency. It is the sector which develops technological solutions, puts them into industrial practice and uses them itself. The VDMA core topic “Energy and environment” covers the legal regulations, technical options and the association’s political position both at a national and international level.

The industry is firmly established in Germany. The mechanical and plant engineering sector stands for innovation, problem-solving expertise and top quality. Research is essential in this context. Only in this way is it possible to achieve technological progress and the proper positioning against international competition. With the core topic “Research and production”, VDMA is examining Joint Industrial Research, the interaction between production technologies and IT (Industrie 4.0) and the political framework conditions.

Standardization facilitates technological and economic collaboration on a national, European and international level. For the companies in the mechanical and plant engineering sector, it is relevant for the construction of machines and plant and also from an application perspective. The VDMA core topic “Standardization and technology policy” covers both the dialog with the EU Commission and national and state line ministries as well as the tasks of the DIN Standards Committee Mechanical Engineering (NAM). It also covers the creation of VDMA Specifications, the standardization process for mechanical engineering.

The major challenge for mechanical and plant engineering companies is to develop business ideas and take on the challenges of the competition. It will be necessary to see change as a creative opportunity and to understand how to further develop the company both technologically as well as from an organizational point of view.
In this context, the VDMA core topic “Company and management“ contains individual information for association members, benchmarking for the mechanical engineering sector, advice to management and political representation of interests.

The VDMA is politically neutral, but politically involved. It represents the interests of its more than 3,200 members with determination and assertiveness. The VDMA core topic “Social and economic policy” conveys the significance of the mechanical and plant engineering sector as the largest industrial employer in Germany. It includes political PR, direct discussions and diverse events for social groups, politics and business.