Expert Topic Startup-Machine

Startup-Machine

Uniting Machine Engineering and Startups

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Startups transform trending topics into new technologies and products that will be of importance in the future of mechanical engineering. Startups employ novel work practices which mechanical engineers should be aware of.

Conversely, mechanical engineering represents a huge user industry for startups. With VDMA Startup-Machine, we have created a platform that brings both of these parties together - matchmaking which is relevant to the mechanical engineering industry. We invite you to join us!

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Startup Empfehlung: Startup-Machine

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  • Startups @ EMO Hannover 2025
With the VDMA Startup-Machine we are once again a cooperation partner of the VDW and together we are organizing the EMO Startup Area. Innovative startups will meet established market leaders in production technology here from September 22-26, 2025.

Startups and mechanical engineering: How the cooperation succeeds

From our content

From our content
Startup Award 2025 - AI innovations for mechanical engineering wanted!

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.

"Startups are the litmus test for the EU's simplification plans"

It is right to combine the topic of startups and scaleups with an EU strategy. After all, startups drive Europe's innovative strength and future viability.

Startup pitches on the LIGNA.Stage

On May 28 and 29, 2025, an inspiring conference program on startup solutions awaits you on the LIGNA.Stage in Hall 12 - be there live!

VDMA Startup-Machine is Community Partner of GITEX EUROPE 2025

Berlin becomes hotspot of the European tech scene: VDMA Startup-Machine is official community partner of GITEX EUROPE 2025 - a new, important event for technology, startups and digital innovation.

"Wow the world with your ideas!" - Startup Area @ EMO Hannover 2025

With the VDMA Startup-Machine we are once again a cooperation partner of the VDW and together we are organizing the EMO Startup Area. Innovative startups will meet established market leaders in production technology here from September 22-26, 2025.

Exhibitor Spotlight @ LIGNA.FutureSquare with Kohnle GmbH

As a VDMA member, Kohnle GmbH Hartmetall-Werkzeug-Fabrik will be demonstrating at LIGNA.FutureSquare 2025 what networked and sustainable woodworking looks like today - with smart tool solutions made in Germany.

Exhibitor Spotlight @ LIGNA.FutureSquare with iBlade®

Thinking tools digitally - that is the guiding principle of iBlade®. At LIGNA.FutureSquare 2025, the specialist from Kolbermoor will be demonstrating how intelligent tool management can be used to efficiently manage almost all (cutting) tools.

LIGNA.FutureSquare: Startup power for the wood industry

The Startup Area @ LIGNA.FutureSquare is entering the next round. From May 26 to 30, 2025, 13 startups from four countries will present their pioneering solutions for the industry at LIGNA, the world's leading trade fair for woodworking and wood processing.

Innovation opportunity for startups & SMEs: EIC Pathfinder Challenge

Under the title "Towards Autonomous Robot Collectives Delivering Collaborative Tasks in Dynamic, Unstructured Construction Environments", the EIC is looking for pioneering technologies for the use of autonomous robotic collectives in the construction industry.

Startup Spotlight @ LIGNA.FutureSquare with improvem

At LIGNA.FutureSquare 2025, the startup improvem from Austria shows how the digital twin makes wood processing more transparent, efficient and sustainable - for smarter production processes and future-proof companies.

Startup Spotlight @ LIGNA.FutureSquare with ligenium

Revolutionizing intralogistics with intelligent wood-based materials - that is ligenium's mission. The startup, which was already nominated for the 2023 Mechanical Engineering Summit Startup Award, is presenting itself for the first time at LIGNA.FutureSquare 2025.

Startup Spotlight @ LIGNA.FutureSquare with Deeplai

After a successful debut at LIGNA.FutureSquare 2023, Polish startup Deeplai will exhibit again at the Startup Area this year. Deeplai brings state-of-the-art AI technologies to the wood industry.

Targeted matchmaking: how successful collaborations are created

In 2023, EMO Hannover attracted numerous company representatives from the production technology sector. It will take place again from September 22 to 26, 2025 and will further expand the focus on matchmaking between startups and corporates in the Startup Area.

16th Innovation World Cup at HANNOVER MESSE 2025

Once again, the Innovation World Cup Series will take place at Hannover Messe 2025 to honor outstanding techpreneurs. 17 startups, scaleups and innovative SMEs will pitch live on April 1.

VDMA Startup-Machine brings innovations to the big stages in 2025

2025 will be a highlight year for mechanical and plant engineering companies and startups. VDMA Startup-Machine connects young companies with established players in mechanical engineering at the leading industry events.

Startups pave the way to climate neutrality in the construction machinery industry

At bauma 2025, startups showed how pioneering technologies and creative solutions can transform the construction industry.

Startups bring digital innovations to the construction industry

More efficient project management, autonomous robots and AI-supported innovations for a sustainable construction industry.

Startup Spotlight @ LIGNA.FutureSquare with Voodin Blades

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Startup solutions point the way to a sustainable construction sector

bauma 2025 highlighted startups that are pioneering the transition to zero-emission and sustainable practices in the construction sector.

Startups drive sustainable change in mining

At bauma 2025, startups played a key role in the transformation of the mining industry towards greater efficiency, safety and sustainability.

Innovative drive concepts from startups drive the future

At bauma 2025, startups presented their innovative drive concepts tailored to the specific requirements of the construction industry.

Pioneers meet practice: LIGNA.FutureSquare Insights from Strong by Form

LIGNA.FutureSquare 2023 offered startups like Strong by Form a stage to present their solutions. VDMA Startup-Machine supports young entrepreneurs who are advancing the industries with fresh ideas and new technologies.

VISION sets an example: Growth despite negative market situation

Growth and cutting-edge technological solutions characterize the world's leading trade fair for machine vision / Record number of exhibitors and strong increase in visitors in 2024

"Important step for more venture capital"

The conditions for growth and innovation capital in Germany are to be significantly improved - an important step towards promoting start-ups.

Start-up BW Summit 2024 in Stuttgart

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.

VDMA Research and Innovation: New tasks, new management

VDMA bundles its activities in the area of "Research and Innovation" and establishes a new joint office. Research and innovation processes can thus be further optimized. Dr. Eric Maiser and Martin Nitsche take over from Dietmar Goericke.

Webinar Insights: VDMA and prototype.club answer your questions

New perspectives in the changing startup ecosystem: VDMA Startup-Machine and prototype.club presented their new cooperation on July 4, 2024 to make open innovation accessible to VDMA member companies in a new format.

Digihubs promote exchange between start-ups and companies in NRW

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Mechanical engineering & startups: innovation opportunities through industry challenges

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Shaping the Future of Mining through Collaboration and Innovation

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This was the Startup Area at EMO Hannover 2023

From September 18-23, 2023, 60 innovative startups from 12 countries presented themselves at EMO Hannover 2023, shaping the future of production technology with fresh ideas.

Startups at trade fairs as the key to success

For the Berlin startup AdaptX Systems, participation in the EMO Hannover Startup Area 2023 was worthwhile. Tim Bornemann, Co-Founder, shares his experiences with us and why an early trade fair presence is worthwhile for startups.

Startup Award at the Mechanical Engineering Summit 2023

On 8 November 2023, the VDMA Startup-Machine and Production presented the Startup Award to Ucaneo. The startup impressed with its innovative approach of opening up new paths for the future of production through the biologisation of industry.

Startups Pioneering Future-Ready Machines and Manufacturing Processes

Visitors experienced innovative startups in the EMO Hannover Startup Area 2023 and took a look into the future of machines and manufacturing processes that challenged existing physical limitations.

Startups Enabling a Greener Tomorrow

Visitors were able to discover innovative startups in the EMO Hannover Startup Area 2023 and gained insight into the possibilities promised by more sustainable production methods.

Startups unleashed the potential of AR/VR technology

Visitors discovered innovative startups in the EMO Hannover Startup Area 2023 and took a look into the future of AR/VR and its innovative applications.

Startups for forward-looking Industry 4.0 solutions

Visitors discovered innovative startups in the EMO Hannover Startup Area 2023 and took a look at the future of automation solutions that led them into the world of Industrie 4.0.

Startups Shaping the Future of Ecommerce and Business

Visitors discovered innovative solutions and inspiring startup personalities in the EMO Hannover Startup Area 2023 and took a look into the future of AI-based e-commerce, which is revolutionizing automation in business.

The VDMA startup search platform - your entry into startup scouting!

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.

Startup scouting

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.

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Start-ups for the future of the wood and furniture industry

From 15 to 19 May 2023, visitors were able to discover groundbreaking innovations from start-ups in the Startup Area at Ligna.FutureSquare. Emerging companies brought fresh ideas and innovations that had the potential to shape the future of the industry.

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When it comes to future topics, we at Future Business and Startup-Machine are exactly the right people to talk to.

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Industrial VISION Days 2024

An unparalleled concentration of expertise - that's what the world's largest presentation forum for machine vision stands for. At the Industrial VISION Day you will find out about the latestes cutting-edge developments in the machine vision industry.

8th Future Business Summit - Results

Services in mechanical engineering: The focus is already on people, digitization and sustainability. Will everything be new, will everything be different in the next decade? Around 120 guests discussed future scenarios and received new impetus on applications, training and new business models at Campus Buschhütten.

Our events

List of planned experience exchange events ("ERFA") from the North, VDMA Regional Association North and the Marine Equipment and Systems (MES) working group.

Future Business Summit at CERN: "The largest machine in the world"

The exclusive follow-up event to our sixth Future Business Summit took place live in Geneva and brought the future to life. Photos, video interviews and presentations are available now.

Ecosystem Journey "Startup Innovation" with UnternehmerTUM

Gaining inspiration and starting points for startup innovation, building networks and exchanging ideas: That was the Ecosystem Journey "Startup Innovation" 2021 in Munich.

New startup search platform | explore now!

Discover startup contacts and trends for mechanical engineering worldwide?! The new digital startup search platform helps to find suitable partners.

Important questions on this topic

Important questions on this topic

In a nutshell

In a nutshell

Auf den Punkt Zitat - Expert Topic Startup-Machine

"Start-ups are proof that innovation and entrepreneurial spirit are the driving forces that keep the industry at the cutting edge and allow it to flourish."

Hartmut Rauen, Deputy Executive Director of VDMA

Auf den Punkt Zahl Expert Topic Startup-Machine

44

Percent of SMEs

are already working with startups.

Source: VDMA

Auf den Punkt Zusammenfassung Startup Beispiel

Summary
Using AI to find startups for the mechanical engineering sector
  • Only 23 percent of SMEs working with startups fund their own scouting
  • VDMA Startup-Machine thereby supports members in their search for partners and in the screening of startup trends
  • The Startup Radar provides an overview of the global startup scene for the mechanical engineering sector (3000+ startups)

Events

Events

Tue. 10.06.25 Tue. 10.06.25

  • ProduktionNRW

What does the future store floor in mechanical engineering look like and which success stories can my company benefit from today? How can I make my production more competitive with startup cooperations?

Places available

Tue. 24.06.25 Tue. 24.06.25

  • Competence Center Future Business

Discover startup contacts and trends worldwide?! The new digital startup search platform for mechanical engineering makes it possible. By participating in the web seminar, you will receive an introduction to the possibilities of the new dashboard as well as your personal access so that you can use the tool to search for startups yourself.

Places available

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More VDMA services

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More expert and focus topics

More expert and focus topics
Future Business
Trendscouting - Foresight - Startups: We are tracking the future of mechanical engineering. Well structured and across all sectors within VDMA, in the almost infinite variety of complex topics for the next 10-15 years. Our goal: to identify trends and disruptions relevant to machine makers at an early stage and make them usable, to point out new business opportunities and to build networks.
Culture of innovation
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.
Corporate Foresight
Corporate Foresight means conducting futurology from a corporate perspective in order to „manage“ the future. It is a vision-building process which complements classical innovation management and prepares for all kinds of change – achieving resilience no matter what kind of trend or forecast will become real.
Innovation and transfer networks
Research, innovation and transfer networks allow us to reach a broad range of companies with offers suited for practical application. Key success factors include networking and maintaining a dialog with the parties involved, consolidating a wide range of competencies and quickly transferring research results to companies in the mechanical and plant engineering sector.
Industrial collective research
Industrial Collective Research (IGF) serves as a unique innovation platform for small and medium-sized enterprises. Being a thematically open and industry-driven program, IGF represents an important building block in pre-competitive research for the mechanical and plant engineering sector.
Research Funding
In order to support long-term and future-oriented research and development, innovative projects are granted financial backing. In addition to collaborative and joint research, companies may also benefit from tax-based research funding.
Artificial Intelligence
Everyone is talking about artificial intelligence and machine learning. At VDMA, there are already many organizational units that are examining the topic more closely. Here, you can gain some insight into all the activities that the VDMA is conducting on the topic of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence.
OPC UA
As an open interface standard, OPC UA is a central prerequisite for the successful introduction of Industrie 4.0 in production. OPC UA ensures the interoperability of machines and systems, which can be linked and redesigned as required via Plug & Work - platform-independent and cross-manufacturer.
Cybersecurity
When it comes to security at the VDMA, everything revolves around protecting machines and systems in production, manufacturing or intralogistics from attacks and disruptions. The aim of these organizational and technical protective measures is to develop cyber-resilient machines and systems and trustworthy services while reliably maintaining their permanent operation.
Platform economy
The mechanical engineering industry is successfully advancing the digital transformation. So far, this has primarily concerned manufacturing, but in the future it will also involve new business models. Digital platforms and the associated platform economy are going to play an ever more prominent role, and value creation in the mechanical engineering industry is increasingly taking place via digital services.
Production
In manufacturing and assembly outstanding machines and plants become reality. This is where information and material flow together, not always according to plan. However it is important to meet the high demands in terms of quality, time and costs every day.
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The audio blog for trend topics from mechanical and plant engineering

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