Sector in brief
Mechanical and plant engineering is the core of the German capital goods industry and is also one of the most important branches of industry in Bavaria. As a supplier of complex products for all sectors of the economy and a recipient of technologically sophisticated pre-deliveries, it is at the centre of industrial performance. Bavaria’s mechanical engineering sector, with its focus on drive technology, general ventilation technology, power systems (engines and turbines) as well as pumps and compressors, is mainly concentrated in the administrative districts of Swabia, Lower Franconia and Upper Bavaria. The area of digitisation/industry 4.0 has meanwhile taken on a crucial role in mechanical engineering and will continue to strongly shape the industry. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning offers many new opportunities, which will further advance mechanical engineering with considerable growth potential.
A special feature of the Bavarian mechanical engineering industry is the great variety of sectors, almost all sub sectors can be found here. In addition, mechanical engineering is characterised by its SME owner-managed structure. With over 236,800 employees (approx. 18% employment volume of all Bavarian industrial jobs), mechanical engineering is still the largest industrial sector in terms of employment. In 2019, the 921 Bavarian mechanical engineering companies generated a total turnover of approximately EUR 54.4 billion. This means that almost a quarter of the total German industry turnover was generated in Bavaria. With more than 14 percent of the total Bavarian industrial turnover, the industry is the second strongest branch of industry in Bavaria. Due to its strong international competitive position, mechanical engineering is a very export-oriented industry. 65.3% of Bavarian industry sales in 2019 were generated abroad.
Figures from the mechanical engineering sector
236800.00
employees
24453.00
First-year students in Bavaria in 2019
65.30
per cent to total sales were made abroad
18.00
per cent share of employment in industry in Bavaria
Mechanical engineering, which is steeped in tradition, is one of the most popular study programmes in Germany among men with roughly 10% of all students. In Bavaria, an increasing number of women (around 3%) have recently expressed enthusiasm for a career in mechanical engineering. The attractiveness of these courses of study is reflected in the steadily increasing number of first-year students in recent years. In the field of mechanical/process engineering, the number of students enrolled in the 2019/20 winter semester increased again by +0.6% compared to the academic year 2018, with 5,769 initial registrations.
Thanks to the solid specialist education at Bavarian universities, the art of engineering enjoys worldwide recognition and offers excellent career prospects in this country. The range of applications in this sector is huge and not only includes the manufacture of all kinds of machines but also the design and production processes in the automotive and rail vehicle industry, and for ship lifts and aircraft.
According to the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA), the total R&D expenditure of the economy as a whole in 2019 amounted to EUR 73 billion, with the mechanical engineering sector being one of the strongest research sectors in Germany with a share of 10%.
The proportion of scientists and engineers in mechanical engineering companies is currently over 50% of all full-time equivalents.
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