The challenges for the textile machinery sector are likely to manifold in 2019, said VDMA, Germany’s mechanical engineering industry association. The political and economic framework conditions have deteriorated, incoming orders in main markets are difficult to predict. Hence, markets that have so far been less in focus have to be worked on more intensively.
At the same time, the recruitment and retention of both academic and industrial junior staff is becoming a permanent task for companies, VDMA said in a statement at the turn of the year 2018-19. Recruitment of new talent is a long runner. Competition from other technology sectors is fierce. In 2019, the VDMA’s Walter Reiners Foundation will continue the tried and tested instruments of recruiting young people, at the same time breaking new ground and developing answers with its member companies to the question of how engineers can be enthusiastic about I4.0 tasks in the industry. At the ITMA in Barcelona, the VDMA will once again give students the opportunity to visit the leading trade fair as part of an excursion group.
In April, the creativity awards of the foundation will be presented for the first time in a ‘young environment’ at the recruiting fair MG Zieht An – Go Textile. This year, the awards ceremony of the Walter Reiners Foundation took place in the Digital Capability Center in Aachen.
