Future Business
Think tank for the mechanical and plant engineering industry
Trendscouting - Foresight - Startups: We are tracking the future of mechanical engineering. Well structured and across all sectors within VDMA, in the almost infinite variety of complex topics for the next 10-15 years. Our goal: to identify trends and disruptions relevant to machine makers at an early stage and make them usable, to point out new business opportunities and to build networks.
Our strength: Close cooperation with over 30 VDMA divisions, and with partners from foresight and startup scenes.
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Regulatory requirements are influencing corporate strategy worldwide. How can the mechanical and plant engineering industry deal with this and act with foresight? Answers will be provided at the Corporate Foresight Conference on May 14/15, 2025 at KSB SE & Co. KGaA.
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.
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.
This article lists introductory and overview materials on quantum technologies. It contains introductions to the technologies, information on the market situation in Germany and abroad as well as strategy papers.
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.
In this compilation of GTAI articles from 2024 on the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, life science and pharmaceutical sectors, you will find the markets and articles in chronological order.
The ninth future study examines the role of carbon management as the key to achieving climate targets. It outlines opportunities and hurdles for industry and society and presents four future scenarios for 2035 and beyond.
In this compilation of GTAI articles from 2023 on the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, life science and pharmaceutical sectors, you will find the markets and articles in chronological order.
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.
Future Services 2035 is the topic and title of the latest future picture of the VDMA Competence Center Future Business. In workshops with companies and the Fraunhofer ISI, four futures were developed and recommendations for action were derived.
Two days of future power in Friedrichshafen: at the invitation of Rolls-Royce Power Systems more than 50 participants met on June 06-07,2023 to exchange ideas on increasing complexity in future management.
When it comes to future topics, we at Future Business and Startup-Machine are exactly the right people to talk to.
With trend topics in the time horizon from under 5 to over 10 years
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.
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? Around 120 guests discussed future scenarios and received new impetus on applications, training and new business models at Campus Buschhütten.
"It's a privacy-compliant, sovereign response to U.S. or Asian cloud providers called hyperscalers," Markus Weber explains. On July 27, 2022 at 8:30 a.m., he will explain how to get around the data protection dilemma in the live webinar Let's Talk Science.
The exclusive follow-up event to our sixth Future Business Summit took place live in Geneva and brought the future to life. Photos, video interviews and presentations are available now.
A successful event: on May 11, 2022, 60 participants exchanged views on top issues ranging from sustainability management and climate neutrality to "zero impact" in raw materials at the Corporate Foresight spring conference. Exciting presentations, interesting discussions and inspiring networking.
Live in Geneva, 08.-09.06.2022: Experience top research and innovation on precision metrology and quantum technology, on quarks and cosmology, with international collaboration at its best. Conveyed by CERN experts, including guided tours. The exclusive follow-up event to our 6th Scenario Study.
Gaining inspiration and starting points for startup innovation, building networks and exchanging ideas: That was the Ecosystem Journey "Startup Innovation" 2021 in Munich.
VDMA Future Business has published a new picture of the future, "Biologicalization of Industry 2035". Is the trend relevant for manufacturers of food processing and packaging machinery?
Presentation of the 7th scenario study "Images of the future for mechanical engineering" by VDMA and Fraunhofer ISI with an attractive program on "Biointelligence" on 03.09.2021 at Fraunhofer IPA [in German, members only].
Events
Discover startup contacts and trends worldwide?! The new digital startup search platform for mechanical engineering makes it possible. By participating in the web seminar, you will receive an introduction to the possibilities of the new dashboard as well as your personal access so that you can use the tool to search for startups yourself.
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