IVAM - Economic Data

09.03.2017

IVAM Survey 2017

In early 2017, growth forecasts in Europe’s microtechnology industry are distinctively positive. More than 80 percent of the companies expect to increase sales in the period from 2017 to 2019. The number of employees is also expected to rise in more than three-quarters of the companies. However, securing skilled workforce remains a challenge for more …

08.03.2017

Europe's microtechnology industry signals growth

In early 2017, growth forecasts in Europe’s microtechnology industry are distinctively positive. More than 80 percent of the companies expect to increase sales in the period from 2017 to 2019. The number of employees is also expected to rise in more than three-quarters of the companies. However, securing skilled workforce remains a challenge for more …

07.03.2017

China expected to outrank the USA as major overseas mark

Trade in European microtechnology products still predominantly takes place within Europe. The EU and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) are the most important sales and export regions for more than half of the European companies. The USA is the most important overseas market, still. This is likely to change over the next three …

05.03.2017

Personalization, demography and connectivity determine technical progress in medical technology

The trend towards personalized medical care as well as demographic developments and digitalization, but also health policy and cost pressure are driving technological progress in medical technology and health care. From the perspective of microtechnology companies, the aging society is currently the strongest driver for innovations in medical technology and healthcare. R&D efforts …

04.03.2017

Assisted and connected driving make the car industry exciting again

Assisted or autonomous driving and digital transformation are currently the strongest drivers for innovations in automotive engineering. Over the next three years, innovation activity in the supply industry will shift towards digital technologies; applications in vehicle networking, navigation and tracking will increase. More applications will also arise in the area of vehicle lighting. Source: …

03.03.2017

Nationalistic tendencies in the US and Europe preoccupy the microtechnology sector

The representatives of the European microtechnology industry perceive nationalist tendencies in the economic policy of the USA and anti-EU tendencies in some member states of the European Union as external uncertainty factors. More than forty percent, including a significantly higher proportion (58.5 %) of research and development organizations, regard this as an uncertainty factor for …

02.03.2017

Shortage of qualified staff still challenges microtechnology industry

The need to find qualified staff is perceived as a challenge in the microtechnology sector in Europe, by both, companies and research institutions. About a third of the industry representatives each are concerned about the competitiveness, innovative capability and profitability of their company. For research institutions, however, financing is the second-largest internal challenge …

01.03.2017

The digital transformation is no disruption to the microtechnology industry

The innovative microtechnology industry, which has always played a key role in technological advances, does not think of the digital transformation as a disruption: almost a third of companies and research institutes do not regard the digital transformation as a new development, as they have used or implemented new digital technologies in the past already. …

28.02.2017

Microtechnology industry researches and supplies digital applications

The digital transformation has a significant impact on R&D activities in the field of microtechnology: 37.7 % of research institutions are developing new products or technologies that assist the digital transformation. In the microtechnology industry, the digital transformation has so far inspired a little less than a fifth of companies to develop new products …

01.04.2016

IVAM Survey 2016

Microtechnology industry keen to invest and innovate In spite of the continued low level of investment in Europe, the microtechnology industry is rather keen to invest and innovate. According to the IVAM Survey, more than a third of all European microtechnology companies intend to increase investments and intensify R&D efforts in 2016. Altogether, the business …

30.03.2016

Continued upward tendency in the European microtechnology industry

In the past years, the business situation of the European microtechnology industry has continuously improved. The proportion of companies that were able to improve their business as compared to the year before has kept rising since 2012. Increases are very obvious especially in the areas orders, production, sales and export. For 2016, the European …

29.03.2016

Microtechnology industry keen to invest and innovate

In spite of the continued low level of investment in Europe, the microtechnology industry is rather keen to invest and innovate. According to the IVAM Survey, more than a third of all European microtechnology companies intend to increase investments and intensify R&D efforts in 2016. 35.5% of companies want to invest more in 2016 …

28.03.2016

E-mobility drives innovation in German microtechnology industry

In Germany the new energy policy and the demand for new drive concepts for electric mobility have given a boost to innovation and created new business opportunities in the supplying industry. While in the rest of Europe the medical technology and healthcare industry continues to be the major target market for the highest percentage of …

27.03.2016

Microtechnology industry demonstrates high R&D intensity

The European microtechnology industry demonstrates a high R&D intensity. In 2015, 28 percent of companies have invested more than 20 percent of their turnover in research and development. Source: IVAM Survey 2016

18.03.2016

Britain’s high-tech industry fears negative impact of “Brexit”

Britain's research-intensive high-tech industry fears the "Brexit". 70% of high-tech companies and research institutes in the UK believe an exit of their country from the EU would have a negative impact on their business or research performance. Only one-fifth (20%) expects positive effects. The companies and research institutions in Britain are worried primarily …

17.03.2016

“Brexit“ likely to impede growth of British high-tech industry

Almost three-quarters (74%) of European high-tech companies are convinced that a “Brexit” would have a negative impact on the growth of the high-tech industry in the UK. Only 33% predict a negative impact on the industry’s growth in the remaining EU. While industry representatives in Europe are convinced that a “Brexit” would put above …

16.03.2016

International collaboration in high-tech industry would suffer in case of “Brexit”

The majority (65%) of the European micro- and nanotechnology companies expect that in case of an exit of the United Kingdom from the EU British companies would have to accept restrictions in international collaboration. For collaboration in the rest of the EU only 35% expect negative consequences. In the UK, a majority of high-tech …

15.03.2016

“Brexit” would weaken UK’s position in trade negotiations with EU

Representatives of the micro- and nanotechnology industry in Europe reckon that as a non-EU member Britain would have a hard time renegotiating trade relations with the EU. More than half of them think the chances of the country to negotiate advantageous trade agreements with the EU are low. “Brexit” would presumably not have such a …

14.03.2016

Partly associated status of Switzerland impedes innovation and collaboration in microtechnology

The partly associated status of Switzerland in the EU funding programme Horizon 2020, in which the EU has put Switzerland after the referendum on the mass immigration initiative in February 2014, impedes innovation and collaboration in the microtechnology industry. A huge majority (83%) of companies and research institutions in Switzerland agree that the status …