Mechanical engineers want to advance research and development. This requires not only money, but also skilled workers.
In view of the lack of skilled workers, machine builders are concerned about the innovative strength of the industry. Due to the lack of personnel, innovation potential is lost, especially in medium-sized industrial companies, said the deputy general manager of the industry association VDMA, Hartmut Rauen, with a view to the results of a member survey in June.
According to this, 90 percent of around 400 companies identified bottlenecks on the labor market among academics and specialists for research and development. Every second company even speaks of severe bottlenecks.
According to a VDMA survey, every third company hired additional engineers for the research area in 2022. For the year 2023, the majority of those surveyed (54 percent) assume that the number in their companies will continue to rise.
Specialists wanted
“Our companies have been reporting recruitment needs for the current year for months – including last year,” stressed Rauen. “They are also willing to offer additional positions.” However, the number of employees in mechanical engineering has increased only comparatively slightly. It can therefore be assumed that the companies would have hired more if they had found the right specialists.
Despite the personnel challenge, the industry is keeping up the pace in research and development, said Rauen: “It is not without reason that around 50 percent of the companies see their most innovative competitors in Germany, particularly in southern Germany.” China, the USA and Italy follow at a considerable distance.
According to their own statements, around 90 percent of the companies surveyed carried out research last year. Accordingly, 59 percent recorded increasing expenses for this. Only 6 percent said they spent less on research and development, the association said. At 35 percent of the companies, spending remained stable.
Source: Stern
