Culture of innovation
If you want hard success, you should start soft
Increasing the ability to innovate in times of digitalization and "VUCA" has been in the spotlight of companies in our industry for several years. Especially following a crisis, it is crucial to be ready and prepared with the right business models as well as suitable systems and structures, and to break away from old habits.
The culture of innovation is an important basis and prerequisite for all efforts. If you want hard successes, you should start soft.
Shutterstock
The agricultural technology industry is an important enabler of the agribusiness of the future. This is because it makes it possible to harmonize economy and ecology. We will be demonstrating this at the Green Week on three sustainability paths.
Sustainably developing innovative strength in the company. The Web-Erfa explored the question of which decisive factors contribute to promoting employees' ability to innovate.
In our theme publication you will find facts and figures on research and development, innovations and patents in machinery and equipment manufacturing.
Questioning the status quo, deliberately "producing accidents", deliberately turning existing conventions on their head - finding innovative solutions with new methods.
Startups from all sectors, gather round: At this year's Start-up Summit, young companies with new ideas once again met potential business partners and investors.
Which leadership behavior promotes the culture of innovation in a company the most? Which cultural elements play which role in the company?
Overview of events on innovation
Discover startup contacts and trends for mechanical engineering worldwide? The digital startup search platform helps you get started with startup scouting and find suitable partners.
Tracking down startup trends and contacts for mechanical engineering worldwide - this is the mission we pursue with our startup scouting services. This is made possible by the Startup Radar project. Find out here how we can help you keep an eye on international startup activity and identify suitable partners.
Israel is a source of innovation and a startup hotbed for the mechanical engineering industry. The VDMA Innovation Tour Israel project introduces VDMA members to the Israeli innovation ecosystem.
A project map as a fence-building aid to change. Axel Weidner, managing partner of Mankenberg in Lübeck, talks about this, the 80 percent principle and the playful desire for robotization in this interview.
What is behind the much-heard terms incubator and accelerator? Using the example of Kärcher, Carina Traa and Andrea Veerkamp-Walz try to clarify the situation.
Gaining inspiration and starting points for startup innovation, building networks and exchanging ideas: That was the Ecosystem Journey "Startup Innovation" 2021 in Munich.
Uta Schmidt from MESTO shows paradoxes in dealing with errors depending on the context. A positive error culture requires discussion and a common understanding, self-reflection, role models and tools.
A crisis shows which companies are capable of finding answers to difficult challenges. The means of leadership to choose from are: stringent instructions from individuals or the power of self-organised teams.
Say nothing, see nothing, hear nothing - we are all familiar with this image of the three wise monkeys. This phenomenon can be observed among all groups of people, even in companies. Since there is usually also a hierarchical order in companies, however, additional "monkeys" can be observed here. Lean Management helps to work together effectively and efficiently in spite of this.
In April, the "Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft" started its new survey on research and development (R&D) in the industry in 2020. The results are highly significant.
Lean management complements agile methods perfectly. Especially for SMEs - also with batch size 1 - Lean offers exciting starting points. A report about errors and success factors.
The world is becoming increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex and ambivalent (VUCA). What mindset and methods you can use to cope with this and position your company accordingly.
There is great potential in the cooperation between startups and mechanical engineering. The prerequisite is that both parties find each other and master the challenges of cooperation. VDMA Startup-Machine helps companies to get started.
Currently there is a lot of talk about "agility". But: What are agile methods helpful for? What does it actually mean to become more "agile"? And what does all this mean for the topic of "leadership" in the company.
Vision and purpose of (not only) agile companies should be developed in a participative way. We show you how.
In the digitalisation environment, many companies want to become faster and more innovative - even in non-established fields. We show best practices on cooperation, hierarchy and leadership.
Especially after a crisis, it is important to start with the right business models and suitable systems and structures and to cut off old habits. The culture of innovation is an important prerequisite for all efforts.
10. We do what we promise!
Several years ago, Basler AG and other companies developed the "Ten Commandments of Innovation". Most important commandment: exemplify, demand and implement innovations.
The guide provides companies with a compact introduction to the topics of AI and Working World 4.0 with results from the project "Industry 4.0 - data-based change in medium-sized companies" of the VDMA Bavaria.
The competence centre "networked textiles" belongs to Mittelstand Digital of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy
Biggest challenge: lack of digitization strategy and postponement of digitization projects; mechanical engineering well positioned in production-related digitization; portfolio adjustments: Establishment of new business models
First there was Brexit, trade wars and structural change in key industries, now it’s the corona pandemic. Up to now the machine tool manufacturers have only been marginally affected by the economic setbacks, but they are now facing increasing threats. Medical engineering readily springs to mind when it comes to markets that still hold growth potential. But is there any point in even considering moving in this direction in the short term? Niklas Kuczaty, Managing Director of the VDMA’s Medical Technology Working Group, is somewhat sceptical: “Medical engineering is a very complex industry. Those looking to gain a foothold need to show commitment and determination – and above all staying power – before any investment will pay off.”
At the award ceremony of the "Excellence in Production" competition on November 13th in the coronation hall of Aachen Town Hall, Fritz Stepper GmbH & Co. KG surprisingly achieved the overall victory. The internal toolmaking department of VDMA member ZF Friedrichshafen won in the category "Internal toolmaking with more than 50 employees".
• Stricter regulations accelerate the circular economy • Quality standards for recyclate are indispensable • Complete circular economy is shown at K 2019
The initial phases of innovation determine whether ideas become innovations. We report on some highlights from two workshops "Real Time Innovation". A Real Time Innovation Canvas brings new perspectives to the phases and components of a successful innovation.
At our event format Start-up Connection you will meet the best start-ups in Germany for digitisation and industry 4.0.
A good 71 percent of the companies see digitization as one of the central strategic priorities, but only 27 percent of the companies are satisfied with the current status of digitization activities - almost 25 percent even see considerable need for improvement.
Events
This online seminar provides basic knowledge on the design, manufacture, and operation of gearboxes with plastic gears, with consideration of the cylindrical gear geometry, plastic properties, and tribology.
From 3rd. - 06th of June 2025, the EPHJ exhibition will take place at Palexpo in Geneva, Switzerland.
With this interactive course, you will acquire the necessary technical and methodological knowledge to successfully master the role of construction site manager. You will also optimize your social skills in dealing with customers, employees and subcontractors.
How do we get Gen Z & Alpha excited about technology? At the final conference of the Weeks of Technology, we will show how employer branding and entertainment merge - and how mechanical engineering must become more attractive in order to attract more women to the industry. Register now! 🚀
The core of the seminar is a live crisis team exercise that gives you a realistic insight into the necessary actions and measures of a crisis team in the event of a cyber attack. You will also receive a blueprint for a crisis plan, which you can then refine and implement in your own company.
From independent project planning, organization and employee management to controlling and presenting the results: Learn the basics for successful project management in this 6-day course.
Exclusively for VDMA members
Register now and read more
Don't have an account?
If your company is already a VDMA member, you can register easily.
Do you not know whether your company is already a member? Take a look at our member list and find out.
Are you interested in becoming a VDMA member?
Your contact
