Event reports

PFAS regulation endangers industrial processes
The EU’s planned blanket ban on around 10,000 PFAS substances would have a negative impact throughout the mechanical and plant engineering sector. The substances must be viewed in a differentiated manner.

Selected topics in corporate environmental protection
Corporate environmental protection encompasses a variety of different aspects – participants helped determine the focus of the event.

University cooperations and other approaches to student retention
To meet the demand for highly qualified specialists at an early stage, some companies in the mechanical and plant engineering sector are cooperating with universities – the possibilities are diverse.

QM-Corner NRW – a new format with a successful start
QM-Corner NRW, that means one topic, one hour, online – the compact exchange among experts from the industry, this time on the topic “Sustainability meets Quality Management”. On July 12, 2023, the topic “Sustainability meets quality management” struck a chord with the participants. In many companies, the requirements from the topic area of sustainability are… Read More »QM-Corner NRW – a new format with a successful start

Successful personnel marketing and use of databases
The shortage of skilled workers is back and is causing production bottlenecks in mechanical and plant engineering. Many companies are asking themselves how to recruit qualified employees and retain them in the long term. Successful and proactive personnel marketing can help attract the best skilled workers and keep them in the company in the long… Read More »Successful personnel marketing and use of databases

CSR reporting in mechanical and plant engineering
The strategic anchoring of sustainability in the company is gaining in importance: Increasing transparency obligations with regard to sustainability will in future also affect medium-sized companies to some extent.

Four time travels to mechanical engineering service in 2035
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.

Transport challenge – Logistics and transport news
The time and financial expenditure for the transport of goods is increasing for companies in the mechanical and plant engineering industry. There is a need for optimization.

Current developments of tax-related topics
The event offered participants the opportunity to learn about and exchange information on current developments in tax law.

Disruptions challenge controlling and accounting
Corporate planning is particularly challenging in times of various disruptions. Sustainability reporting and the Ukraine war are having an impact on controlling and accounting.

TTP LB: Promotion of innovative lightweight construction projects
Lightweight construction is one of the central pillars for making a significant contribution to achieving the necessary climate and sustainability goals – while maintaining competitiveness. Lightweight construction is considered a cross-sectional technology due to its versatile fields of application. In order for lightweight solutions from different perspectives to be brought together and further developed, a… Read More »TTP LB: Promotion of innovative lightweight construction projects

Practical implementation of the calculation of the product carbon footprint
The Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) is crucial in the calculation of greenhouse gas emissions. The event outlined how VDMA supports companies in PCF calculation.

Labor law: News from labor market policy and case law
Current labor market policy decisions and rulings on labor law have an impact on operational practice – also in the mechanical and plant engineering sector. Many Corona protection measures have largely been abolished since February 2023. The German government is thus pursuing the goal of restoring more normality to everyday life. This development is also… Read More »Labor law: News from labor market policy and case law

The search for New Work approaches to production
The production sector is usually neglected in New Work. New Work is more than home office and free processes and therefore there are also different starting points in production.

Approaches for more stable supply chains in purchasing
One crisis has not yet been overcome, and the next one is already following: Corona, supply bottlenecks, energy crisis – reason enough to discuss the situation of the procurement markets and the design of more stable supply chains.

Adaptation of the training offer to digital challenges
The additional qualification “Digital Manufacturing Processes” aligns training with future needs in mechanical and plant engineering and thus strengthens training in the company itself.

Situation of the procurement markets
On the other hand, the question of how to make purchasing more stable in the long term in order to make security of supply and costs more predictable again was discussed.

Basics and in-depth knowledge of the AGB law
General Terms and Conditions (GTC) – more than just the fine print and highly relevant for mechanical and plant engineering. Basics and advanced knowledge were the focus of the event.

Software solutions for intralogistics
The digitalization and automation of processes is also rapidly gaining importance in intralogistics. Suitable software solutions help to increase the efficiency of in-house processes. The event on October 13, 2022 showed that intralogistics occupies an important position as a cross-sectional function within a company. In this context, it encompasses the organization, control, execution and optimization… Read More »Software solutions for intralogistics

ASEAN – Opportunities and Challenges
The ASEAN countries are a heterogeneous and dynamic economic area, which offers potential for the NRW mechanical engineering industry.

Technology Transfer Program Lightweight Construction
Lightweight construction is one of the central pillars for making a significant contribution to achieving necessary climate and sustainability goals – while maintaining competitiveness.

Focus topics at the VDMA NRW members’ meeting
Future Business – Future Service, Circular Economy and Decoupling USA – China: three topics were the focus of individual sessions at the VDMA-NRW General Meeting on November 15, 2022.

NRW mechanical engineering shaper of the transformation process
As an equipment supplier to industry, mechanical engineering is an important enabler of industrial transformation. The general meeting of the VDMA NRW in November 2022 was dedicated to this topic.

Legal requirements for the introduction of a whistleblower system
The Whistleblower Protection Act (HinSchG) is expected to come into force next year – with far-reaching consequences also for small and medium-sized mechanical and plant engineering companies in NRW.

IoT- platforms for the Internet of Production
Successfully implementing an IoT platform in your own company is an important building block for the future and plays a critical role in the implementation of Industrie 4.0.