ABP CEO Till Schreiter appeals to the industry at the HärtereiPraxis conference
The metallurgical machinery and plant engineering industry is currently facing enormous challenges and opportunities. At HärtereiPraxis 2025, hosted by PROZESSWÄRME, the magazine for thermal process technology, our CEO Till Schreiter – speaking in his role as Chair of the VDMA Metallurgy Association – outlined the challenges currently facing metallurgical machinery and plant engineering, particularly in light of the megatrends of decarbonization, deglobalization, digitalization, and demographic change.
He showed how global trade flows are shifting: he described Europe’s export potential, the growing competitive pressure from China, and increasingly also from India. Europe remains the most important market, yet geopolitical tensions and protectionist tendencies are demanding new strategic approaches. In the USA and Asia, both opportunities and risks are emerging that German plant manufacturers must address in a targeted manner.
At the same time, ambitious climate targets are rapidly transforming the industry. Decarbonization, electrification, and the hydrogen economy are shaping the discussion. However, the key to the future viability of the metallurgical industry lies not only in the technology itself, but above all in the consistent digitalization of all processes, he explained.
Till Schreiter made it clear in his keynote: digitalization is no longer an add-on, but a fundamental prerequisite. Only those who comprehensively record, analyze, and control processes digitally can manage the growing complexity of energy prices, supply bottlenecks, regulatory requirements, and customer demands. Especially in energy-intensive processes, data must be used in real time to fully exploit energy-saving potential, enable flexible load management, and optimally adapt production workflows to volatile electricity prices – such as those influenced by high photovoltaic input.
This makes it clear that digitalization, especially through the integration of production, energy supply, and service, offers significant opportunities to differentiate in global competition. Those who invest early can not only optimize their own production costs, but also offer added value to their customers through predictive maintenance, optimized process control, and data-driven services.
Till Schreiter therefore advocated, from the VDMA’s perspective, for a clear industrial strategy in Germany and Europe that considers digitalization, energy efficiency, and technological development as interconnected priorities. The current uncertainties in the energy markets must not lead to an investment backlog. Instead, they should serve as a prompt to establish the necessary structures for the industry of the future.
