Cluster ProduktionNRW
The ProduktionNRW cluster sees itself as a platform for networking, informing and marketing companies, institutions and networks among themselves and along the value chain. The central goal is to strengthen mechanical engineering and production technology in NRW.
News
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Harnessing the Potential of AI: A Hands-On Workshop for the Mechanical and Plant Engineering Industry
Practical, interactive, and immediately applicable: The workshop organized by KI.NRW provided tools to systematically tap into AI potential within companies.
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“Circular.NRW”: New Alliance Advances the Circular Economy in North Rhine-Westphalia
Circular.NRW is a new alliance that brings together business, politics, and academia to visibly advance the circular economy in North Rhine-Westphalia and tap into new potential for value creation.
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Mechanical Engineering in North Rhine-Westphalia: Demand Remains Weak
In July 2026, order intake in the machinery and plant engineering sector in North Rhine-Westphalia was 2 percent higher in real terms than the previous year’s figure. While domestic business declined by 11 percent, orders from abroad were 10 percent higher than the previous year’s figure. Orders from non-eurozone countries rose by 11 percent, while orders from eurozone countries increased by 8 percent.
In the more meaningful and less volatile three-month period from May to July 2026, new orders were down 4 percent overall compared with the same period a year earlier. Both domestic demand (down 1 percent) and foreign demand (down 6 percent) declined. The decline was particularly pronounced in the non-eurozone, with a drop of 8 percent, while orders from the eurozone remained 1 percent below the 2025 level.
The slight increase in July is a positive sign, but should not be overinterpreted. Domestic orders remain weak, and even the more meaningful three-month period continues to show a decline in order intake. As a result, the mechanical and plant engineering sector in North Rhine-Westphalia continues to operate in a challenging environment. It will be crucial for these isolated positive signs to give rise once again to broad and sustainable growth in demand.
