Frankfurt am Main, February 2016 – In the fourth quarter of 2015, the German machine tool industry recorded 3-per-cent growth in order bookings compared to the final quarter of 2014. Orders from both Germany and abroad increased equally, up by 3 per cent compared with the preceding year. For 2015 as a whole, the final rise in order bookings was one per cent. The growth has been crucially driven by a substantial 16-per-cent increase in orders from the Eurozone.

“For the German machine tool industry, 2015 ended with a moderate rise in order bookings,” comments Dr Wilfried Schäfer, Executive Director of the sectoral organisation VDW (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association) in Frankfurt am Main. The result was boosted by the year’s fourth quarter, November in particular, which recorded he highest growth rate of the entire year. The European machine tool industry is in good shape. “For all four quarters of 2015, our member companies have reported a consistently high level of demand,” emphasises Dr Schäfer.

The German machine tool industry ranks among the five largest sectors in the country’s mechanical engineering segment. It supplies production technologies for metalworking applications to all categories of manufacturer, and makes a crucial contribution towards progressing innovation and productivity in the industrial sector overall. Due to its absolutely key position for industrial production output, its development is also an important indicator for the economic vigour of the country’s industrial sector as a whole. In 2014, the German machine tool industry produced machines and services worth around 14.4 billion euros, and was employing about 71,600 people (annual average for 2014, firms with more than 20 staff).