Mechanical engineering
R&D expenditure still below pre-corona level
Companies in the mechanical and plant engineering sector spent around €7.2 billion on internal research and development (R&D) in 2021. This corresponds to an increase of just under 3.5% compared to 2020.
In terms of R&D expenditure in the mechanical and plant engineering sector, the industry has probably left the coronavirus era behind it. In its latest report, the Stifterverband assumes that the industry will spend around €7.2 billion on R&D in 2021. This corresponds to an increase of just under 3.5% compared to 2020.
After R&D expenditure of EUR 7.1 billion in 2017 and 2018, the industry set a record of EUR 7.5 billion in 2019, before expenditure fell to EUR 6.9 billion in 2020.
External R&D expenditure, i.e. research contracts with third parties, also increased significantly by 5.5 percent in the Stifterverband's reporting year. "Whether climate-neutral production, the circular economy, mobility or digitalization - the scaling and competitiveness of innovative technologies are based on mechanical engineering solutions everywhere," says Hartmut Rauen, Deputy Managing Director of the VDMA, on the occasion of the latest figures from the Stifterverband.
Increase research allowance for additional R&D activities
The Stifterverband expects a slight decline in R&D personnel for 2021. According to preliminary planning figures for 2022, a sideways movement in R&D expenditure is also expected. Accordingly, the pre-corona level has not yet been reached again in mechanical and plant engineering. "This makes it all the more important to expand tax incentives for research," demands Rauen. According to the ZEW study "Experiences with the implementation of the research allowance in mechanical and plant engineering", almost all companies in the sector are planning to invest the funds from the research allowance in additional R&D activities. "As the most important employer of engineers, we can use this instrument to tackle transformation processes innovatively, openly and even faster," emphasizes the Deputy Managing Director of the VDMA.
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