Header Forschung Innovation Technologie

Research, Innovation & Technology
Dynamic changes in technologies and markets are opening up a wide range of new business opportunities for mechanical and plant engineering. Our analyses and, in particular, our activities in joint research help to identify relevant developments and trends at an early stage, build innovation networks and exploit existing opportunities through rapid knowledge transfer of current research findings.

Themenfeldgrafik Forschung, Innovation und Technologie

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Solutions from mechanical and plant engineering can prevent nearly 90 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, the VDMA advocates for strengthening industrial research and supporting transfer platforms.

From our content

From our content
Research allowance - secure funding!

The effort required to submit an application? Doable! Do you have questions? Then take advantage of our monthly online introduction and Q&A session on tax research funding.

Knowledge transfer: future studies, future business summits

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.

New trends: Special edition VDMA Future Business Trend Radar 2024

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.

The potential of tokenization for mechanical and plant engineering

The IMPULS study "Tokenization in mechanical engineering" published today analyses Web3 technologies that promise the industry efficiency gains, new financing models and innovative monetization opportunities.

Member information "Water and wastewater technology marketplace"

Exclusively for members, the specialist department for water and wastewater technology provides a new information service with its publication "Marketplace Water and Wastewater Technology".

Startup Speaker Slots @ bauma Forum 2025

Five days, five focus topics - From April 7 to 11, 2025, the bauma Forum will be all about innovative technologies. The startup pitches offer exclusive insights into solutions for a sustainable, efficient and digital construction industry.

Where do the parties stand on VDMA demands?

The VDMA has addressed extensive demands to politicians. What do the parties think? Our overview shows the extent to which the mechanical and plant engineering industry is taken into account in the programs for the federal election on February 23, 2025.

INNOspace Masters enters the next round

INNOspace Masters promotes ideas for the transfer of technology and know-how from other industries to the space sector or from the space sector to non-space sectors.

16th Innovation World Cup at the Hannover Messe 2025

Once again, the Innovation World Cup Series will take place at Hannover Messe 2025 to honor outstanding techpreneurs. Attention VDMA members: Startups, scaleups and innovative SMEs are invited to apply for this award.

BMWK funding for SMEs: new ZIM guideline

The Central Innovation Program for SMEs (ZIM) is a nationwide funding program that is open to all technologies and sectors.

Fostering Innovation and Shaping the Future

The high pace of innovation in mechanical and plant engineering requires more industry orientation in funding, strengthening of collaborative research, transfer platforms, and the expansion of research funding for future-proof jobs.

Institute of Machine Tools and Production Technology

The Institute of Machine Tools and Production Engineering (IWF) is jointly headed by Prof. Klaus Dröder and Prof. Christoph Herrmann.

Forschungsgemeinschaft Industrieofenbau - who we are and what we do

Thermal process technology plays a decisive role in international competition against the backdrop of declining resources and global climate change. Innovations regarding the substitution of fossil sources are moving into focus

Tax incentives for research

Tax incentives for research offer small and medium-sized companies in particular incentives to invest in research and development.

Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (Leibniz-IPHT)

The Leibniz-IPHT is researching biophotonic methods and technologies that are entering new dimensions in terms of resolution, sensitivity, specificity, speed, accuracy and automation.

"An end to overregulation and far too high cost burdens"

Heavy seas and no calm in sight: the mechanical engineering industry expects a decline in production and a slight reduction in jobs in 2025. A political turnaround is needed to strengthen the industry.

VDMA Startup-Machine brings innovations to the big stages in 2025

2025 will be a highlight year for mechanical and plant engineering companies and startups. VDMA Startup-Machine connects young companies with established players in mechanical engineering at the leading industry events.

Startups pave the way to climate neutrality in the construction machinery industry

At bauma 2025, startups will show how pioneering technologies and creative solutions can transform the construction industry. Discover our exhibitors at the Startup Area in the Innovation Hall LAB0.

Startups bring digital innovations to the construction industry

More efficient project management, autonomous robots and AI-supported innovations for a sustainable construction industry: discover our exhibitors at the bauma Startup Area 2025 in the Innovation Hall LAB0.

Startup Spotlight @ LIGNA.FutureSquare with Voodin Blades

Voodin Blades celebrates its premiere at LIGNA.FutureSquare 2025. CEO Tom Siekmann shares his goals and explains why participation is an important step for the Hessian startup.

Startup solutions point the way to a sustainable construction sector

bauma 2025 highlights startups that are pioneering the transition to zero-emission and sustainable practices in the construction sector. Discover our exhibitors at the Startup Area in the Innovation Hall LAB0.

Startups drive sustainable change in mining

At bauma 2025, startups will play a key role in the transformation of the mining industry towards greater efficiency, safety and sustainability. Discover our exhibitors in the Startup Area in the Innovation Hall LAB0.

Innovative drive concepts from startups drive the future

At bauma 2025, startups will present their innovative drive concepts that are tailored to the specific requirements of the construction industry. Discover our exhibitors at the Startup Area in the Innovation Hall LAB0.

Institute of Materials in Electrical Engineering 1 RWTH Aachen

The Institute of Materials in Electrical Engineering 1 (IWE 1) researches new technologies in the field of micro- and nanosystems and develops bio- and chemosensors for applications.

Research Guide Micro Technologies

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.

Innovation Award 2025 - prize for practice-oriented problem solutions

The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia is awarding the NRW Innovation Prize for the year 2025.

Pioneers meet practice: LIGNA.FutureSquare Insights from Strong by Form

LIGNA.FutureSquare 2023 offered startups like Strong by Form a stage to present their solutions. VDMA Startup-Machine supports young entrepreneurs who are advancing the industries with fresh ideas and new technologies.

Funding measure for bio-based processes

Grants for the further development and scaling of bio-based processes - the new funding guideline for the establishment of an industrial bioeconomy in Germany makes it possible.

Facts and figures: Research and innovation

In our theme publication you will find facts and figures on research and development, innovations and patents in machinery and equipment manufacturing.

Startup Speaker Slot @ LIGNA.Stage powered by VDMA Startup-Machine

As an exhibiting startup on the LIGNA.FutureSquare, you will benefit exclusively from the LIGNA.Stage forum program as a winner of the Call for Paper. Be quick and apply!

Startup Area @ LIGNA.FutureSquare 2025

50 years of LIGNA: startups and their new solutions for the wood industry are a must for the golden anniversary of the trade fair! Register now for the LIGNA.FutureSquare from May 26 - 30, 2025!

Joint company stand @ LIGNA.FutureSquare 2025

LIGNA has been the meeting place for the woodworking community for 50 years. Become an exhibitor at the LIGNA.FutureSquare from May 25-30, 2025 and show your products and solutions in the woodworking industry. Register now!

State of NRW awards innovation prizes

The innovation prize honors practical solutions to problems. This year, it went to a VDMA member for the development of an energy-saving burner, among other things.

VISION sets an example: Growth despite negative market situation

Growth and cutting-edge technological solutions characterize the world's leading trade fair for machine vision / Record number of exhibitors and strong increase in visitors in 2024

"Research allowance strengthens companies efficiently and sustainably"

The state should efficiently strengthen the competitiveness of the economy. The research allowance meets all the criteria for this and also strengthens companies in the face of unfair competition.

"Relieve the economy now without ifs and buts"

The draft for the Tax Reform Act has both light and shade. The fact is: Germany needs relief for the economy. Now.

"Important step for more venture capital"

The conditions for growth and innovation capital in Germany are to be significantly improved - an important step towards promoting start-ups.

"Expansion of state research funding instead of scrappage scheme"

Tax money for the scrappage scheme is not being put to good use. It would be better to use it at the beginning of the value chain in production research. This would benefit jobs and technologies.

"Federal funding for industry and climate protection" promotes decarbonization

The Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK) published the new funding guideline "Federal Funding for Industry and Climate Protection (BIK)" on August 23.

Research and funding measures in the HealthTech sector

VDMA HealthTech provides information on research topics in medical technology and the entire industrial healthcare sector, as well as on current guidelines for funding projects and the general framework conditions.

Germany remains the best R&D location

According to the VDMA survey, Germany remains in first place in the ranking of research locations. Companies want to expand their R&D both at home and abroad.

European Partnership "Textiles of the Future"

"Textiles of the Future" will be one of nine priorities in the EU Framework Programme for Research & Innovation "Horizon" from 2025 to 2027 - implemented as a "European co-programmed partnership".

Start-up BW Summit 2024 in Stuttgart

Startups from all sectors, gather round: At this year's Start-up Summit, young companies with new ideas once again met potential business partners and investors.

VDMA research network

The Forschungskuratorium Maschinenbau e.V. (FKM) bundles and coordinates pre-competitive research for mechanical and plant engineering.

VDMA Research and Innovation: New tasks, new management

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.

Introduction and overview of quantum technologies

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.

Webinar Insights: VDMA and prototype.club answer your questions

New perspectives in the changing startup ecosystem: VDMA Startup-Machine and prototype.club presented their new cooperation on July 4, 2024 to make open innovation accessible to VDMA member companies in a new format.

Digihubs promote exchange between start-ups and companies in NRW

The DWNRW hubs are five regional centers for the digital economy in North Rhine-Westphalia. They are contact points for start-ups and established companies looking to collaborate with them.

Technology and knowledge transfer with innovation2business.nrw

The innvotion2business.nrw project, funded by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, helps companies to identify suitable technologies and cooperation partners.

Focus on the future

Where is the mechanical and plant engineering industry heading and which trends will change existing business models? Answers to these questions and plenty of room for personal exchange were provided at this year's Summer Forum of the VDMA Regional Association East.

Our expert and focus topics

Our expert and focus topics
Future Business
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.
Water
Water, the basis of life and a source of energy, dominates 71percent of the earth's surface. Its power and industrial importance are at the centre of our focus topic.
Research Funding
In order to support long-term and future-oriented research and development, innovative projects are granted financial backing. In addition to collaborative and joint research, companies may also benefit from tax-based research funding.
Biologicalization
Digitization alone cannot solve key challenges such as climate protection and resource scarcity. The biologization of industry offers another dimension to Industry 4.0 and a perspective on the future of production. Mechanical engineering plays a key role in this and offers a huge toolbox for biological processes and mechanisms. VDMA focus topic deals with technological solutions for transferring and integrating biology into the world of industrial application.
Industrial collective research
Industrial Collective Research (IGF) serves as a unique innovation platform for small and medium-sized enterprises. Being a thematically open and industry-driven program, IGF represents an important building block in pre-competitive research for the mechanical and plant engineering sector.
Innovation and transfer networks
Research, innovation and transfer networks allow us to reach a broad range of companies with offers suited for practical application. Key success factors include networking and maintaining a dialog with the parties involved, consolidating a wide range of competencies and quickly transferring research results to companies in the mechanical and plant engineering sector.
Corporate Foresight
Corporate Foresight means conducting futurology from a corporate perspective in order to „manage“ the future. It is a vision-building process which complements classical innovation management and prepares for all kinds of change – achieving resilience no matter what kind of trend or forecast will become real.
Go For Green Tech!
The mechanical and plant engineering sector is an enabler for climate protection and resource efficiency. The VDMA initiative "Go For Green Tech!" shows successful examples from practice.
Manufacturing-X
Industry 4.0 needs easily available, secure and consistent data networking. Manufacturing-X is designed to make this possible. The goal is to establish a data ecosystem that enables trustworthy data exchange between companies based on open standards and offers companies digital sovereignty.
Engineering education for the mechanical engineering sector
For many employees, working in a home office is a completely new situation that has caught them very unprepared due to the pandemic. This raises a host of practical and legal issues.
Artificial Intelligence
Everyone is talking about artificial intelligence and machine learning. At VDMA, there are already many organizational units that are examining the topic more closely. Here, you can gain some insight into all the activities that the VDMA is conducting on the topic of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence.
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Quantum Technologies and Photonics
The Quantum Technologies and Photonics Forum was founded with the vision of showing members the potential of quantum technologies and photonics, paving the way for applications and thus improving the future and competitiveness of mechanical engineering.
Battery Production
Electromobility and battery production are gaining ground worldwide, and this is just the beginning. To make the right decisions early and be competitive, it is essential to have your finger on the pulse of innovative production solutions.
International Technology Roadmap for Photovoltaic (ITRPV)
The International Technology Roadmap for Photovoltaic (ITRPV) is developed by the PV industry for the PV industry. Twice a year, data is collected from the contributors and processed anonymously as well as evaluated by the VDMA. Participation is free of charge.
Intralogistics
Modern intralogistics systems enable reliable and flexible production supply and efficient processes in the warehouse. Through increasing automation and digitalization, the systems are becoming more intelligent and will be able to optimize themselves in the future.
Drones
Commercial drone applications are also gaining importance in mechanical and plant engineering as well as adjacent B2B customer industries.
Wind Energy
Wind energy plays an important role in security of supply and will be crucial to achieve climate neutrality in the energy system. It ensures value creation and employment as well as energy independence. In addition, the availability of renewable energies is a decisive location factor for economic regions.
Fuel cell
Fuel cells play a central role in CO2-neutral energy supply and are part of national hydrogen strategies.
Fuel cell innovation cluster
The innovation cluster for large-scale production of fuel cell stacks (GO-Start BZ) is to support the potentials of an industrialization of stack production in Germany.
Forum Glass Technology
It is impossible to imagine modern life without glass, a more than 5,000 years old material. Every day, new technological and market-specific challenges confront the machine and plant manufacturers in glass production, processing, and finishing.

Level 1 Themenwolke

Podigee

To the point

To the point

Auf den Punkt Zitat - Themenfeld Research, Innovation, Technology

“By participating in the HM.prototype.club competition, Siemens Energy was able to discover remarkable talents and innovative solutions.”

Jaydeep Naha, General Manager Digital Solutions and Project Execution, Siemens Energy

Auf den Punkt Zahl - Themenfeld Forschung, Innovation, Technologie

4500

projects

were submitted for funding by almost 1,600 companies in the mechanical and plant engineering sector between spring 2021 and January 2024.

Source: ZEW Mannheim / VDMA

Auf den Punkt Zusammenfassung - Themenfeld Forschung, Innovation, Technologie

Summary
Digital trend radar platform Peacoq
  • The VDMA Future Business Trend Radar has been fully digitized to make the content more accessible and customizable.
  • The platform offers a longlist of 160 trends and 70 trend maps, which are regularly updated and have also been available in English since November 2023.
  • The Peacoq platform, developed with Foresight Solutions, offers new features such as PDF export and an AI-driven radar chart.
  • The content of the platform is continuously maintained and developed by VDMA and partners such as Fraunhofer ISI.

VdmaSambaEvents

Events

Our services

Our services
Series of Research events
We organize various events on the topic of research.
Knowledge transfer: Future studies, Future Business Summits
Complex topics, well-structured, easy to use: Scenario deep dives convey orientation knowledge to the point, key factors and recommendations for action, presented in top-class summits.
Facts and figures: Research and innovation in mechanical engineering
In our theme publication you will find facts and figures on research and development, innovations and patents in mechanical engineering.
Collection of I4.0 research at German research institutes
The collection provides an overview of the German research landscape around Industry 4.0. In the new edition 2019, around 40 universities and institutes present their current projects.
Online Library Digitalization & Industry 4.0
The VDMA accompanies and supports its members on their path to Industry 4.0. Here you will find an overview of the latest publications on this topic.
MBI Events
The Mechanical Engineering Institute is offering a variety of continuing education courses in the field of digitalization and innovation. Learn more about our offer now and get in shape for the digital revolution!
VDMA Trendscouting: The Peacoq Foresight Support Platform
Trends and disruptions relevant for mechanical engineering compiled in our online tool. Use longlist, trend cards and radar graphic for research, presentation and individualization according to your needs.
Startup Radar Dashboard - Find startups for mechanical engineering online
Discover startup contacts and trends for mechanical engineering worldwide?! The new digital startup search platform helps to find suitable partners.
Startup Events
As a platform for mechanical engineering and startups, we bring both parties together: We create spaces to meet, establish networks and initiate partnerships.

Ausschüsse

Committees

Asset Publisher

VDMA partners

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Industrielle Gemeinschaftsforschung, AiF Forschungsnetzwerk Mittelstand
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Forschungskuratorium Maschinenbau e.V.
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IMPULS-Stiftung
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Fraunhofer-Institut für System- und Innovationsforschung ISI

Ihr Kontakt

Vorteilskommunikation

Benefits for you as a member

Largest industry network in Europe

3,600 primarily medium-sized member companies in the capital goods industry make the VDMA the largest industrial association in Europe and the most important network organization in the industry.

Strong representation of interests

The VDMA is the most important voice of the machinery and equipment manufacturing industry. It represents the common economic, technical and scientific interests of the industry in Germany and around the world.

A wide range of services

More than 500 VDMA employees worldwide support you with practical services to make the right decisions in your company - along the entire value chain.