Digital business models & AI in mechanical engineering - Mechanical Engineering Summit 2025 - vdma.org

At the Mechanical Engineering Summit 2025 in Berlin, we will be presenting the Startup Award to the startup that paves the way to more efficient and intelligent production with AI technologies in robotics and automation.

Industrial security is increasingly important in mechanical engineering as networked systems face growing attacks. The VDMA calls for EU-wide standards and SME support to meet security needs.

The digital transformation in mechanical engineering is also reflected in total IT costs, which have been rising at an average rate of 5% per year faster than sales since 2017.

Industrial SMEs must also rely on intelligent production processes and artificial intelligence. However, the digital transformation requires a profound change in mentality.

A new VDMA white paper uses case studies to show how artificial intelligence is already being used in processes, products and business models in mechanical and plant engineering.

The EU's action plan emphasizes the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence. There is a lot of potential for AI, especially in industrial applications. Small-scale regulations must not stand in the way of this.

AI is playing an increasingly important role for companies in the mechanical and plant engineering sector. VDMA Software and Digitalization is therefore once again offering an interesting range of formats on the topic for all VDMA members.

As part of the online event "Generative AI - Identifying potential, seizing opportunities", a survey was conducted among participants on 29.04.25 to obtain an up-to-date picture of the current mood.

A new VDMA study shows: for the first time, social engineering and phishing are the biggest cyber threats to companies, followed by human error and sabotage