Photo: VDMA
The German intralogistics industry had to cope with a 9 percent decline in orders in 2024, but according to the VDMA (German Engineering Association), it still recorded a production volume of €27.7 billion. The industry association expects a further decline in production volume of 2 percent to €27.2 billion in 2025.
Last year, German manufacturers of materials handling and intralogistics equipment were able to withstand the economic challenges. However, this was not a cause for unadulterated joy for the companies: "Part of this production volume came from old order backlogs. This buffer has now been exhausted. (...) The tight order situation is continuing into the current year, although this does not apply equally to all product areas," says Jan Drömer, Chairman of the Board of the VDMA Materials Handling and Intralogistics Association.
German intralogistics providers exported goods worth €27.7 billion in 2024.
The total export volume of the intralogistics industry in Germany declined by 5 percent to €19.8 billion in 2024 compared to the previous year. Europe remained the largest market by region, with a volume of approximately €12.2 billion (down 5 percent compared to the previous year). The most important customer countries remained the USA (€2.5 billion, down 9 percent), followed by France (€1.3 billion, down 10 percent) and the Netherlands (around €1 billion, up 6 percent).
Measured by international exports, China remains the leading exporter. The Middle Kingdom increased its total export volume to €26.8 billion in 2023, a rise of 13 percent. Germany ranked second in 2023 with an export volume of €20.8 billion, followed by Italy in third place with €9.1 billion. Overall, global export volume in intralogistics reached €122.5 billion in 2023, an increase of 13 percent compared to 2022.
In 2023, China exported intralogistics worth €26.8 billion, while Germany exported around €20.8 billion.
The average export quota of German suppliers is just over 70 percent. Even though overall demand has declined, the European single market, for example, is proving relatively robust and stable, according to figures from the VDMA (German Engineering Federation). Around two-thirds of all exports remain within Europe. If the EU Commission succeeds in strengthening the competitiveness of domestic industry and the economy through various measures, such as significant deregulation, this would predictably have positive effects on the intralogistics sector, according to Drömer.
The outlook for the domestic market, however, is more difficult. Until a new government is formed and clear political decisions are made, it is impossible to predict domestic business for the current year.
