The German electrical and electronics industry only recorded growth in exports in 2019. Production, sales and incoming orders, on the other hand, declined, according to the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association (ZVEI). "The German electrical industry is heavily integrated into global value creation processes.
The simultaneous global weakness in trade, investment and industrial production last year affected the industry," said ZVEI President Michael Ziesemer, assessing the situation. Price-adjusted production in the electrical industry from January to November 2019 was 4.2% lower than in the previous year. Turnover fell slightly by 1.2% to € 175.6 billion and is likely to have amounted to € 191 billion for the year as a whole. For 2020, the ZVEI expects production to remain stable at best. Despite the economic slowdown, the number of employees in the German electrical and electronics industry has remained almost stable. It currently stands at 888,000 employees.
Digitalization and climate protection usher in a new era:
The ZVEI is calling for clear rules for the data and platform economy, which must ensure one thing above all: social trust as a necessary prerequisite for a successful data economy. "Personal data is particularly worthy of protection," explains Ziesemer. "Nevertheless, it is important that it is available in anonymized form if it can benefit society as a whole."
The ZVEI is calling for an intensive debate on the future use of data in Germany and Europe and is presenting a proposal for discussion in the form of the 'Guidelines of the German electrical industry on the responsible use of data and platforms'. It is important to be able to make better use of existing data for industrial innovations and new business models in the future.
Innovations for more climate protection:
The ZVEI supports the German government's climate targets. "The electrical industry in particular is already providing key solutions - for all relevant sectors: transport, buildings, energy and industry," explained Wolfgang Weber, the new Chairman of the ZVEI Board of Directors since January 1, 2020. "Electrification is an important lever for reducing CO2 emissions." Electricity must therefore be the most important source of energy, he said, and it is right to adequately price the greenhouse gas CO2 across the board. "The aim must be to make CO2 emissions more expensive and clean electricity cheaper - this is the only way to create incentives to switch from fossil fuels to renewables." To achieve this, the entire system of energy levies, charges and taxes must be put to the test.
www-zvei.org
