Canada looks to break free
EMO 2025 with Alliance Country Canada
Frankfurt am Main, September 01, 2025 – The EMO, as world’s leading trade fair for production technology, is announcing a partner country for the first time in its 50-year history. Under the title of EMO Alliance Country Canada 2025, Canadian manufacturers will be exhibiting their goods and services in Hall 12, Stand E89 from September 22 to 26. Jayson Myers, CEO and Président-directeur général of NGen, the organizer of the Canadian participation in the EMO, says: “Because of the trouble with our noisy neighbor to the south, Canadian industrial companies are very enthusiastically looking for new customers, new suppliers and reliable innovation partners. In the metalworking sector, we can find them at the EMO. We are therefore delighted to be the first Alliance Partner of the EMO.”
EMO strengthens alliances
NGen stands for Next Generation Manufacturing Canada and is a non-profit organization based in Hamilton, Ontario. It is dedicated to the promotion of advanced manufacturing solutions. NGen is backed by a network of 11,000 members representing manufacturers, technology providers, academic and research institutions, business service providers and financial backers from across Canada. Mr. Myers is particularly keen to raise global awareness of the manufacturing expertise of Canadian companies, not least as solution providers and technology integrators: “NGen is proud to be EMO Alliance Country at the EMO 2025. We will be representing a wide variety of companies with advanced technologies that can be utilized in the machine tool and metalworking sectors, as well as Canadian machine tool manufacturers seeking new customers, suppliers and innovation partners outside of North America,” explains the Canadian CEO. “Now is the right time to showcase Canada’s advanced manufacturing capabilities to the world. The EMO represents a great opportunity to do this, with Canadian companies looking to diversify their markets and supply chains in the face of difficult business challenges.”
Canada is an important market for the metalworking sector
The metalworking industry is an important sector of the Canadian economy. NGen records around 960 manufacturers with approximately 19,600 employees in the industry as a whole. 95 percent of these companies have fewer than 100 employees. According to global statistics from the VDW, Canadian manufacturers of production technology produce machines with a sales value of more than 600 million euros. This puts them in 15th place in the international production ranking. More than half of their production is exported. The largest customer markets are the USA with a share of four fifths, followed by Mexico, China, India and Germany, all with a low single-digit share. In turn, around 77 percent of Canadian machine tool consumption is imported. With a volume of 1.2 billion euros, the Canadian market ranks 13th in the world. The most important suppliers are the USA with a share of around 30 percent, Germany and Japan with 14 and 13 percent respectively, and Italy and China with less than a tenth of the total each.
Canadian companies are active in three key areas – and more
The trends in the Canadian metalworking sector include greater specialization and a focus on services. These include predictive maintenance and improving plant utilization as well as modular and flexible milling systems. With other trends such as automation for more efficient machining processes, digitalization through IIoT integration as well as energy management and sustainability, the Canadian suppliers are involved in all three of the key areas covered at the EMO 2025. In addition, there are companies working in additive processes, powder-coated metals and, last but not least, the use of AI, with companies involved in this area on the lookout for international partners. In times of digitalization and networking, cybersecurity is another key topic. “Networked CNC machines are at the heart of Industry 4.0, which is currently being adopted at scale by Canadian manufacturers to optimize costs and provide market-leading products in turbulent macroeconomic times,” emphasizes Scott Osmond, OT Security Advocate at Threat IQ. “Industry 4.0 is about data-driven manufacturing using real-time production monitoring, remote programming and data analytics. However, this networking also exposes CNC systems to ransomware, supply chain attacks, unauthorized access and other cyber threats. A single security breach can bring production to a standstill, jeopardize proprietary designs and lead to significant financial losses and reputational damage. Threat IQ helps our customers to protect themselves and ensure the security and continuity of their manufacturing processes,” explains Mr. Osmond. “Threat IQ is attending the EMO Hannover to help manufacturers build cyber-resilient operating processes. Our mission is to protect CNC systems from constantly evolving threats so that innovation, security and continuity are not compromised.”
“We are delighted to welcome Canada as an EMO Alliance Country”, says Dr. Markus Heering, Executive Director of EMO organizer VDW. “In the current turbulent times on the global market, there is huge interest in working with stable partners in the machine tool business. The fact that we can offer the Canadians an attractive platform for their metalworking industry here at the trade fair will strengthen our bilateral relations,” states Dr. Heering with confidence.
Contacts
Sylke Becker
+49 69 756081-33
s.becker@vdw.de
VDW (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association) e.V.
Head of Communications
