ABP at the Hüttentag 2025: Why CEO Till Schreiter found clear words
At the Hüttentag 2025 in Essen, Till Schreiter painted a clear, unvarnished picture of the situation in metallurgical plant engineering. In a panel discussion and in his keynote as ABP CEO and VDMA Metallurgy Chairman, he emphasized how geopolitical conflicts, misguided economic incentives, and bureaucratization put Europe under enormous pressure. At the same time, he pointed out the opportunities opening up for the industry – if Europe is willing to make courageous decisions and focus on its strengths. At the same time, ABP Induction was represented with a booth at the Hüttentag event to engage with trade visitors on challenges such as decarbonization, deglobalization, and demographic change, and to present innovative solutions, for example in the digitalization of the metalworking industry.
For the industry, Hüttentag 2025 was more than just an industry gathering: it was a seismograph for the economic and geopolitical tensions that are currently shaping metallurgical plant engineering. In the midst of this situation, Till Schreiter sent a clear message to politicians, business leaders, and industry representatives in his keynote speech and later in the panel discussion: the world has changed more in recent years than many people are willing to admit – and Europe urgently needs to redefine its industrial policy.
Till Schreiter described how deeply mechanical and plant engineering is integrated into international value creation networks and how sensitive it is therefore to geopolitical upheavals. The years of recession in mechanical engineering are a clear warning sign that should not be ignored. The US and China in particular, which have long served as economic pillars, are now themselves contributing to the uncertainty: China is steadily losing importance as an export market because the country is increasingly building its own facilities, while the US is slowing itself down with protectionist measures and destabilizing global markets at the same time.
Schreiter made it clear that the latest US tariff packages are not only placing a massive burden on European suppliers, but are primarily weakening the American market itself, which is losing its appeal due to rising steel prices and falling investment. Protectionism, according to Schreiter, is an instrument that has no winners – except for those countries that secure market share without a fight because others are closing themselves off.
Where can Europe lead?
He elaborated on this idea during the panel discussion. He warned that Europe could find itself caught between the two major economic powers without being able to act decisively itself. While China is systematically developing technologies and pushing into new markets, Europe is wasting valuable time on regulatory details, political constraints, and attempts to artificially keep unsustainable structures alive. Schreiter emphasized how important it is to move away from the idea that the future of the industry lies exclusively in traditional processes and industrial sectors that have developed over decades. Innovation arises where raw material, economic, and technological conditions come together, and Europe must decide in which areas it can truly be a leader – and in which it should focus more on downstream stages of the value chain instead.
The central theme of his remarks was the role of innovation as a driver of industrial competitiveness. Till Schreiter criticized the fact that billion-dollar subsidy programs often do not flow into technologies that open up real economic prospects, but rather into processes whose future viability is questionable. An industry can only survive globally if it develops products that economically strengthen its customers, instead of burdening them with expensive technical path dependencies.
Courage required for new focus
In his view, a modern industrial policy must have the courage to break with old traditions and focus on areas where genuine technological differentiation is possible. For the steel sector, this means that innovation in downstream and further processing often offers greater leverage than in basic processes, which could be implemented elsewhere more efficiently and whilst sparing resources.
Schreiter also spoke clearly on bureaucracy. He described the burdens arising from reporting requirements, supply chain laws, approval processes, and labor law requirements, and made it clear that small and medium-sized enterprises in particular suffer from regulation. If companies already fail due to certification hurdles before they can even submit offers, that is a structural problem that cannot be solved by individual efficiency alone. The ABP CEO called for a paradigm shift: political goals should not be imposed on companies without consideration for economic reality. If you want innovation, you have to create freedom – not additional burdens.
Not pessimistic, but decisive
Despite all the criticism, Schreiter’s appearance was not pessimistic, but decisive. He emphasized that Europe continues to have a strong industrial base and great technological expertise. However, this strength must be defended and further developed. The growth markets of the future will no longer automatically be found in the traditional industrialized nations, but in regions such as India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and South America. If European companies wanted to be successful there, they would have to demonstrate innovative strength, speed, and competitive solutions. The key lies in productivity, digitalization, AI-based optimizations, and clear strategic positioning.
At the end of his speech, he made an appeal: Europe should not allow itself to be defined from outside, but must shape its own future with confidence. Only a Europe that reduces bureaucracy, promotes innovation, consistently leverages its economic strengths, and actively forms global partnerships can compete with the major power blocs. For ABP and the entire industry, this means that the challenges are enormous, but the opportunities are just as great – if you are prepared to act decisively.
