About Us

VDMA

The Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA) represents around 3,300 member companies in the SME-dominated mechanical and systems engineering industry in Germany and Europe.

The Mechanical and Plant Engineering Sector

The mechanical and plant engineering sector is developing solutions to meet today’s major challenges – day after day. The mechanical and plant engineering sector is Germany’s largest employer with 1,4 million employees, and it is the backbone of the German economy.

Siemens

The industry’s approximately 6,700 companies make the mechanical and plant engineering sector in Germany a driver for innovation and thus a guarantor for growth and prosperity. Mechanical engineering is one of the most research-intensive industrial sectors in Germany and accounts for approximately 10 percent of the expenditure on research and development by the economy as a whole.

Our industry is characterized by medium-sized companies. Many of these are family businesses, which often span many generations and are deeply rooted in high-performance networks of industry and science. This structure provides power to the mechanical engineering sector and gives companies the tools to set new standards in the context of global competition.

 Mechanical engineering - Figures and charts

VDMA – More than 125 years with a finger on the pulse

Carl Martin Welcker,  VDMA President

Constantly looking to the future has been a key characteristic of VDMA for over 125 years.

With around 3,300 members, VDMA is the largest network organization for mechanical engineering in Europe. The association represents the common economic, technological and scientific interests of this diverse industry.

VDMA

VDMA was founded in November 1892 and is the most important voice for the mechanical engineering industry today. It represents the issues of the mechanical and plant engineering sector in Germany and Europe. It successfully accompanies its members in global markets. Its technical expertise, industry knowledge and straightforward positioning make it a recognized and valued point of contact for companies as well as the general public, science, administration and policy makers.

VDMA-Organization

Board of Chairmen, Restricted Board, Main Board

The voluntary executive boards of the VDMA

  • Board of Chairmen,
  • Restricted Board,
  • Main Board
    The Main Board is comprised of approximately 120 top representatives of the VDMA member companies. The Main Board sees itself as the association’s voluntary decision-making and supervisory body as well as an interdisciplinary forum for discussing topics of mechanical and plant engineering.

The Executive Directorate of VDMA

The Executive Directorate is responsible for the day-to-day business of VDMA. It implements the long-term and fundamental positioning of the association in the form of practical work. The Executive Director, Deputy Executive Director and the other members of the Executive Directorate are responsible for the work of the association and report to the Board of Chairmen and the voluntary Boards of Directors.

VDMA Structure

VDMA is divided into cross-sector departments, which generally deal with relevant issues concerning the mechanical and plant engineering sector. It has representative offices in Berlin and Brussels as well as liaison offices in important foreign markets. 36 trade associations and various working groups, as well as the international committees and forums of VDMA, deal with the branches of the mechanical engineering sector. In total, approximately 500 VDMA employees work for the members worldwide.

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Linking success: VDMA Business Report 2013-2016

Focus Topics

You will find the VDMA's accumulated expert knowledge on the top topics in mechanical engineering on our focus page, together with an overview of our knowledge and research portals.

Membership

VDMA members benefit from a broad range of services, the unique mechanical engineering network as well as the expert knowledge of VDMA specialists in Germany and abroad.

Detailed information on becoming a member of VDMA is one click away.

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VDMA Members

VDMA (Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau, Mechanical Engineering Industry Association) represents around 3,300 mostly medium-sized companies in the capital goods industry, making it the largest industry association in Europe. Find VDMA Members here.

Career

The VDMA is the voice of the mechanical engineering industry, we create the conditions for the sustainable development of competitive cutting-edge technology. To this end, the VDMA offers a variety of attractive fields of work and entry opportunities, and we train junior staff. The VDMA is certified with the "Career and Family" audit. Get to know our offers on our career portal

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