A voice for process equipment producers

As one of 38 associations that comprise the German Engineering Federation (VDMA), VDMA Process Plant and Equipment represents the suppliers of process equipment. Industry Europe looks at how it helps its members negotiate the often challenging manufacturing environment and strengthen their operations.

VDMA Process Plant and Equipment’s member companies, today numbering around 280, are active across a wide range of areas that are dealt with separately by the association. These are:

• Process Engineering • Water and Wastewater Technology • Sterile Processing • Recooling Technology • Oil & Gas Technology

These companies provide engineering, components and plants for many sectors, including: the chemical & petrochemical industry; pharmaceuticals & cosmetics; power generation & distribution; mineral oil and offshore technology, transport and processing; coal, steel & metallurgy; environmental protection; and the food & beverage industry.

Benefits for members

This division of VDMA works to promote the interests of its members in a number of different ways. Firstly, it offers a platform for the exchange of ideas between different member companies – such as through the setting up of topic-specific working groups. For example, it is actively supporting its members to work towards Industry 4.0 by offering extensive guidelines and promoting knowledge-sharing.

The association also offers industry-specific information on the various markets served by its members, including updates on relevant trade fairs, research projects, technology and legislation. For instance, at the beginning of last year the ‘VDMA Technology Guide Oil – Gas – Petrochemistry’ was published for the benefit of process technology users in the petrochemical and oil & gas industries. Alongside this, members have access to up-to-date primary and secondary statistics to help them keep an eye on market fluctuations.

When it comes to attendance at trade fairs, membership of the VDMA gives companies a unique advantage in that they share common representation and can also showcase their products and solutions at specialist symposia organised by the association itself. In November this year, the German-Norwegian Chamber of Commerce and VDMA are organising, on behalf of the Federal Min-

istry of Economics and Energy (BMWi), a Delegation to Norway. This will present Industry 4.0-related products and solutions for the oil & gas offshore industry as well as covering a professional symposium and relevant site visits.

Sales support is also an important benefit of being a part of the VDMA. This is carried out via publications and global distribution of industry catalogues, as well as the maintenance of an online directory containing details of all member companies. The directory enables member companies to inform potential customers throughout the world about their products, with the most recent edition including a table that provides, for the first time, information on equipment manufacturers for the oil & gas industry. In addition to the above, the association is able to offer image promotion through industry-specific press and public relations in publications both in Germany and abroad.

Core principles

Of course, like all the many separate divisions within the association, VDMA Process Plant and Equipment adheres to the principles of the VDMA as a whole, which are rooted in the four key concepts of: ‘Creating the corporate tomorrow’; ‘Networked thinking, networked actions’; ‘Technology for you and me’; and ‘Europe and the world’.

The first of these, ‘Creating the corporate tomorrow’, refers to the association’s focus on creating more competition and freedom for its members. It uses its personal contacts with politicians, the business world and leading institutions to ensure its finger is always on the pulse and to push for growth on all levels.

The VDMA sees ‘Networked thinking’ as crucial to the continued success of the engineering sector. In its own words, this means “being able to combine experience and intelligence from different fields such as electrical engineering, software, mechanics, optronics and sensors (to name just an handful), and to turn their hightech products into world-beating technological innovations. Such challenging tasks can only be accomplished by deploying closely networked knowledge. This is the main strength of the VDMA.”

When it comes to technology, as we have seen above, the association believes in the importance of keeping its members in tune with the latest developments in their own subsectors and across the industry as a whole. A cogent example of this is in the area of sustainability and energy conservation. According to VDMA, “We emphasise just how actively the industry helps to preserve resources – by developing technologies which help minimise the specific CO2 emissions during the generation of energy, for example.”

Finally, VDMA is keen to help its members expand not just in Europe, but also internationally. From location analyses and market monitoring through to appearances at international trade shows, member companies are supported in developing properly targeted strategies and implementing export-oriented measures. To this end, today there are VDMA offices in China, India, Russia and Japan. n

For more information, visit: https://vtma.vdma.org/en/home