EMO in dialogue with customers from the metalworking sector
The EMO 2025 Economic Forum discusses developments in important customer industries
Frankfurt am Main, July 30, 2025. – The industry is facing numerous challenges, which it is tackling with technical innovations and globally oriented strategies. In the run-up to the EMO 2025, there are signs that the general conditions are improving again. “The current business situation is certainly difficult, but the expectations and general mood among companies in Germany and Europe are improving,” says Dr. Markus Heering, Executive Director of VDW, event organizer of the EMO. New policy settings, federal government spending programs, support for investment, the resolution of the trade dispute with the USA and technological trends such as digitalization and automation are having a positive impact on the investment climate. The machine tool industry is positioning itself confidently in this environment. German Wankmiller, Chairman of the Management Board and CEO of Grob-Werke in Mindelheim, for example, says: “Innovation, quality, and reliability are what set us apart from the global competition.” EMO 2025, the world’s leading trade fair for production technology, from September 22 to 26 in Hanover, Germany, will provide guidance on how this is being received by international customers.
At the EMO Economic Forum Made for Tomorrow – Discover what drives the future of manufacturing, representatives of key customer industries of the metalworking sector will be discussing their prospects for the near future. On the one hand, the development and integration of new technologies opens up additional markets. Roland Sommer, Head of Shared Service Production at machine manufacturer Krones AG in Neutraubling, Germany, says: “The intelligent use of automation and digitalization in discrete manufacturing is more important than ever in today’s world. Added value can only be generated through the right interaction between the machine tool, the employees, the data and the networking of processes.” And Dr. Kamilla König-Urban, Vice President Global Manufacturing Engineering & Opex at medical technology manufacturer Karl Storz SE & Co. KG in Tuttlingen, adds: “Medical technology is on the threshold of a new era. Innovations such as robot-assisted, digital surgery open up previously unimagined possibilities, but also require highly precise, flexible production technologies that meet regulatory requirements.”
A positive mindset can help drive positive outcomes. Michael Hergeth, Director Facility Management at aviation engine manufacturer MTU Aero Engines AG in Munich, confirms: “Fundamental changes in the industry are challenging us to rethink our approach – we are ensuring product availability in the future with smart maintenance and resilient teams.” The dialog between industry suppliers and their customers also plays an important role at the EMO. Eric Müller, Chief Technology Officer – High Pressure Die Casting at Italian automotive supplier Gnutti Carlo Group in Maclodio, emphasizes: “As the world’s leading trade fair that brings together the world’s leading metalworking companies, the EMO offers us the opportunity to bring European production back to the top!”
Jeremy Leonard, Managing Director of Global Industry Services at the British economic research institute Oxford Economics, London, believes that the current prevailing conditions can also support a better future for the industry. “While tariff-driven pessimism abounds, it is important not to overlook the resilience of the European economy, as falling inflation and interest rates support demand at home, enabling an industrial growth acceleration in 2026 and beyond”
In fact, the agreement just reached in the tariff dispute between the USA and the European Union creates a reliable planning foundation for investments, at least in the short term. “A flat-rate tariff of 15 percent will of course raise the prices of machines and components,” concludes Dr. Heering. “How this affects the individual customer industries will certainly be a topic of discussion at the EMO Economic Forum,” he says with certainty.
At a glance
What: EMO Economic Forum Made for Tomorrow – Discover what drives the future of manufacturing
When: Tuesday, September 23, 2025, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Where: Messegelände Hannover, Convention Center, Room 3A
Program
Navigating the crosscurrents of industrial activity across the world
Jeremy Leonard, Managing Director of Global Industry Services, Oxford Economics London, Great Britain
Top customer industries of the metalworking sector in focus
- Automotive supplier industry: Eric Müller, CTO High-Pressure Die Casting Gnutti Carlo Maclodio, Italy
- Mechanical engineering: Roland Sommer, Head of Shared Services Production Germany, Krones AG Neutraubling, Germany
- Medical technology: Dr. Kamilla König-Urban, Vice President Global Manufacturing Engineering & Opex, Karl Storz Tuttlingen, Germany
- Aviation: Michael Hergeth, Director Facility Management, MTU Aero Engines, Munich, Germany
Panel discussion
Michael Hergeth, Dr Kamilla König-Urban, Eric Müller, Roland Sommer, German Wankmiller
Contacts
Sylke Becker
+49 69 756081-33
VDW (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association) e.V.
Head of Communications
