Economy remains challenging - innovations provide impetus
Process engineering: France overtakes China as the second largest export market
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The downturn in business with China and the USA is increasingly weighing on the companies in the VDMA's General Air Treatment and Process Machinery and Equipment associations. Although demand in Europe is providing some relief, this is not enough to compensate for the losses. The industry's high level of innovation remains a source of hope.
Process engineering: France overtakes China as the second largest export market
In contrast to the difficult year 2024, which saw exports of process engineering machinery and equipment fall by 4.4%, the first half of 2025 developed positively. In the first six months of 2025, a rate of change of plus 0.8% was achieved in exports from Germany.
In the top 10 markets, France took second place in February 2025 with total exports of EUR 521 million, overtaking China, which has been in sharp decline for two years. Europe is also ahead in foreign trade in machinery: the EU-27 (up 2.7%) and the rest of Europe (up 2.0%), now the most important sales regions, not only recorded growth, but also combined a trade volume of over 60%. "Germany has an innovative process engineering industry that sets standards," says Richard Clemens, Managing Director of VDMA Process Engineering Machinery and Equipment. However, he also warns that the member companies rightly report a volatile market situation in the VDMA economic survey, which is characterized by customs policy, restrained investments in Europe and price pressure.
First and foremost, US customs policy is having a negative impact on trade relations with Germany: after a strong increase in exports to the most important single market in 2024, a decline of 6.8% was recorded for the first six months of 2025. The improving order intake for orders from abroad means that the first half of the year ended with an increase in order books: Overall, incoming orders are 26 percent higher than in the same period last year.
Air Treatment: Growth in France and the Middle East, declines in China and the USA
General ventilation technology is also struggling with difficult markets. After a decline of 10.3% in 2024, exports shrank again in the first half of 2025 by 3.8% to EUR 7.1 million. By contrast, France (up 10 percent), the United Kingdom (up 6.1 percent) and the Middle East in particular (up 20 percent) developed positively. In contrast, exports to China fell by 20 percent and to the USA by 6.3 percent.
In the first half of 2025, incoming orders for general ventilation technology were 13% below the previous year's figure. Only Drying Technology bucked the trend, recording a significant increase in orders thanks to strong international business. "The economy remains challenging - despite the innovative solutions that ventilation technology offers for key future issues such as energy efficiency and climate protection. Over-regulation is slowing down innovation considerably. Now is the time to streamline the regulatory framework and eliminate contradictory and overlapping requirements," explains Robert Hild, Managing Director of VDMA General Air Technology.
VDMA special show demonstrates innovative strength at Powtech Technopharm
From September 23 to 25, VDMA member companies will be presenting their innovations for efficiency and resource conservation in the bulk solids industry in Hall 10, Stand 538:
- Aigner GmbH
- AL-KO THERM GMBH, Suction Technology Division
- DFT GmbH Deichmann Filter Technology
- Donaldson Filtration Deutschland GmbH
- Filtration Group GmbH
- Herding GmbH Filter Technology
- HET Filter GmbH
- Keller Lufttechnik GmbH Co. KG
- Masterflex SE
- ts-systemfilter GmbH
On 200 square meters, the VDMA special show under the motto "From Vision to Reality - Empowering Tomorrow" presents impressive exhibits and also offers specialist lectures, expert knowledge and guided tours of battery production.
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