VDMA has raised its market expectation for 2017 by 5% – German machine manufacturers which are very strong in Turkish textile industry are expecting an improvement in the market for 2017.

Turkey and Germany have a strong economic and cultural relationship and they are both importing and exporting from each other for many product. Turkey has a very important place for German machine manufacturers due to its potential. Underlining this VDMA Vice Chairman for the parent organization of German machine manufacturers and Owner Of Brückner Group Regina Brückner has reviewed the first half of 2017.

Business in Turkey started very slowly in January and February, but picked up again in March according to Regina Brückner; “In the first half of 2017, textile machinery and accessories worth roundabout 100 million Euros were shipped to the Bosphorus. This is still less than the year before, but the level is quite OK. Regarding the Global Market, the German exports reached more than one billion Euros until May, which means a plus of 11%. Right now, the order income is very positive, so we expect the business to be continued on a good level.”

Brückner reminded that In the biggest market China, they have witnessed an investment reluctance throughout 2016, but the market is gaining momentum. Brückner also added; “growth rates in Bangladesh and Vietnam are encouraging in Asia region. We expect 2017 to become a good year due to these developments. Most markets perform better than in 2016. VDMA’s sales forecast for textile machinery in general is plus 5% for 2017. If the exports to Turkey continue like in the past few months, we would be pleased.”

Turkish textile manufacturers are meeting market demands rapidly

In her review about the Turkish textile industry Regina Brückner said Europe is the number one destination for Turkish textiles. Emphasising Turkish textile factories’ ability to fill orders from Europe very quickly continued as; “They are also efficient in their ability to meet the demands of both smaller shipments and sudden buying shifts in Europe. The Turkish textile industry is moving forward. We already see the efforts and achievements of Turkish textile producers who are aiming for higher quality textiles and higher profit margins. Let us also mention another important point: Turkey is more or less on the doorstep of Germany. This also means that the cultural difference is much smaller compared to countries in the Far East. Many German companies can proudly look back to not only years but decades of close cooperation with Turkish companies and universities.”

VDMA has been supporting German firms in global markets

Regina Brückner also informed us about the work accomplished by VDMA for their members and the industry, she mentioned the technical symposia VDMA organizes in textile markets around the world. Brückner described these as an increasingly attractive VDMA marketing instruments. At these events the networking between machine builders and textile producers is supported by B2B meetings. She continued as; “VDMA realized this in numerous countries throughout the last years, including Turkey. Another useful instrument is a business delegation tour. The major platform to get into new markets is definitely the ITMA as the leading textile machinery exhibition in the world. VDMA provides support like delegations from major markets, PR activities and symposiums. In sectoral terms, VDMA has also been supporting its members to get into new markets. VDMA also advises member companies on technical matters as well as on research, legal regulations and standardization.”

Productivity as the most efficient way to save energy and material is a major topic in nearly all markets according to Brückner, she says automation of textile mills in order to achieve superior efficiency, speed and flexibility continues to be a trend. Brückner; “We also see that digitization is entering the production process and this is creating completely new business models.”

Regina Brückner added that engineers of the member companies continue to develop technologies that provide high performance-systems that are particularly low maintenance and offer productivity advantages and These optimizations result in an extremely favourable price-performance ratio.