VDW is the voice of the German machine tool industry and an organiser of the world-leading exhibition EMO Hannover.
The German Machine Tool Builders’ Association (VDW), based in Frankfurt am Main, represents the interests of the German machine tool industry. In 2016, the Association celebrated its 125th anniversary. Together with the Sector Association Machine Tools and Manufacturing Systems within the VDMA, VDW has some 300 primarily medium-sized companies among its voluntary members. They represent around 90% of the branch’s total turnover, amounting to about EUR 17 billion (2018).
VDW represents its members before the public, politicians, business partners, and scientists. It is therefore the voice of the German machine tool industry on both the national and international levels. Moreover, VDW operates as a competent service provider and supports its members e.g. by monitoring the economy, analysing the market, and advising on legal, technical, and economic issues. A source of profound knowledge on the sector, VDW reports on current trends and provides advice for individual issues.
One essential constituent of the Association’s work is support for its members in tapping into new sales markets, particularly abroad. To this end, VDW applies to the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy for federal participation in key specialised exhibitions worldwide. It organises technology symposiums on key markets abroad, where participants present their expertise exclusively to the most important customer sectors in the hosting country.
In addition, VDW organises exhibitions for the international machine tool industry. In organising specialised exhibitions, it can fall back on nearly 100 years of experience and continually growing expertise. In the form of METAV Düsseldorf, VDW has its own international trade exhibition for manufacturing technology and automation, and runs the world-leading exhibition EMO Hannover on behalf of the European Committee for the Cooperation of the Machine Tool Industries (CECIMO).
