The machine vision industry in Europe has been reporting record sales for years. Between 2012 and 2022, turnover increased by an average of 9% per year. In 2020, sales fell by 4% due to coronavirus, but recovered significantly in 2021 (up 17%) and 2022 (up 11%). By contrast, 2023 was a difficult year overall, and not just for the machine vision industry. The weaker global economy and crises such as the war in Ukraine continue to weigh on companies. Demand in Europe fell by 4%. Export-oriented companies in particular were hit by falling demand for European machine vision in Asia (minus 21%) and North America (minus 18%).

Mark Williamson, Chairman of the Board VDMA Machine Vision

© VDMA

"The European machine vision industry has achieved exceptional growth over the last ten years and is a very attractive industry," said Mark Williamson, Chairman of the VDMA Machine Vision Division at the Vision/ VDMA CEO Roundtable on April 17, 2024. "Unfortunately, due to the current economic and geopolitical situation, we have not been able to match the records of previous years. Although we are seeing initial improvements, it is unlikely that the European machine vision industry will be back on course for growth before the end of 2024."
According to the VDMA market survey, turnover in the German machine vision industry has doubled in the last ten years. While the industry achieved sales of 1.6 billion euros with 'Machine Vision made in Germany' in 2013, it recently recorded sales of 3.2 billion euros, despite a 7% decline in sales in 2023.

Upswing expected from fall

The European machine vision industry is looking ahead to 2024 in a subdued mood. Due to the prevailing uncertainties, many customers are holding back on investments. Order backlogs in the machine vision industry are shrinking and orders are being postponed. Business expectations for 2024 deteriorated again in November and December 2023. The VDMA Machine Vision specialist department is therefore publishing a negative forecast for the first time since 2009. However, the highly diversified customer base is helping to cushion the impact. Many branches of industry and many visionary products rely on computer / machine vision. Machine vision plays a key role in the global automation trend. Companies are turning to machine vision not only in traditional industries, but also outside the factory environment. The VDMA Machine Vision department therefore expects a change in trend from fall 2024. The industry is looking forward to VISION 2024 and expects the machine vision trade fair to provide impetus.