"The global economy is sending contradictory signals"

In one word: mixed. The first half of the year went much better for us than expected. However, our order situation has cooled down since the summer. It is not yet clear whether this trend will continue or whether we will be able to leave the recession behind us. The global economy is sending out contradictory signals. The coming months will show which one indicates the direction. Companies in our sector have already ordered closure days due to the poor order situation. Fortunately, thanks to our flexible working time model, we have not yet been affected by this. Schmalz's great advantage is its broad portfolio, which allows us to be active in a wide range of industries. This allows us to strike a balance. And as a family business, we can adapt more easily to the respective market conditions.

Our portfolio in robotics and automation is growing steadily, with a clear trend towards more integrated intelligence and flexibility. Operators now only need a single solution that can be modularly expanded and adapted to meet a wide range of requirements. In the area of handling systems, we score points for ergonomics and occupational safety. This is particularly important in times of demographic change: with our products, users can move heavy loads effortlessly using vacuum. And with our latest business unit, Energy Storage, we have just entered into a partnership with VoltStorage. We are contributing our stacks for their commercial storage systems - the perfect duo for regenerative energy generation and storage with redox flow batteries.

We need more initiatives to make companies more competitive and to promote investment in future technologies. This also includes reducing bureaucracy and lowering the electricity tax. The tax system must become more innovation and investment-friendly in order to increase the attractiveness of Germany as a business location. The national budget can only be sustainably consolidated through more growth. Politics must promote renewable energies even more in order to achieve climate protection targets and provide companies with sufficient quantities of affordable energy. Sustainability and climate protection are values that are very important to Schmalz.

These are problems that affect many companies in our industry. High energy prices have an impact on manufacturing costs. In order to remain competitive in the end, concepts are needed that increase efficiency in production. Our portfolio includes solutions that optimize production processes and use resources more sustainably. Both we and our customers need to compensate for the shortage of skilled workers. Where personnel is already rare, it is all the more important to pay attention to the health of existing employees. Our ergonomically designed handling products are therefore oriented towards supplementing the workforce and relieving physical strain. The staff shortage is also driving the trend towards automation. With our automation solutions, we help customers make a virtue out of necessity.

Developing innovative solutions has always been our ambition. We have a large team of developers and also work closely with universities. For example, we combine theory with practice at the Black Forest Campus. Students conduct research directly on and with our machines. Our aim is to advance the Black Forest technology region, to attract and retain bright minds in the area. The future belongs to smart, flexible and intelligent vacuum products that are both efficient and sustainable. This is exactly what we need a lot of know-how and fresh ideas for.

Artificial intelligence will shape the future of automation. Self-learning systems not only enable more precise and efficient control of our solutions, but also offer the opportunity to adapt to changing production requirements. AI also creates new opportunities for human-machine collaboration. Smart technologies will play a key role in overcoming the current challenges - from high costs and bumpy delivery routes to the shortage of skilled workers.