Turnover posted by German manufacturers of glass machinery and plants is expected to reach €800 million in 2011, which constitutes a slight rise over the previous year.

For 2012, the sector is once again expecting slight growth, as reflected in the results of a member survey recently carried out by the German Engineering Federation (VDMA).

According to the poll, positive business signals are primarily coming out of the special glass and solar thermal energy sectors. Companies rate photovoltaics (PV) as uncertain and hard to predict, while for many manufacturers this is a key business area. Overall, most respondents rated their business outlook as good to satisfactory.

Results show that business in Turkey is flourishing. However, demand in Russia is now also rising after a long crisis period. Asia’s growth markets remain strong, particularly India and China. Companies are also seeing good prospects in Latin America in the medium term.

Despite individual efforts made in the field of recruitment, the sector lacks well-trained staff and engineers. Companies fear this situation will worsen in the years to come when long-serving staff will leave companies to retire.