This is yet another sword of Damocles hanging over global economic development. In addition, companies have to contend with what can almost be described as an anti-production attitude from politicians and legislators - at EU level, but also in Germany. German energy policy is the icing on the cake of the mountain of challenges that need to be overcome. As a result, the air is getting uncomfortably thin for more and more companies. The metalworking trade is already facing a significant crisis. Seven out of ten metalworkers in North Rhine-Westphalia are reporting declining order backlogs. Only one in twenty metalworkers is expecting an improvement, while at the same time the willingness to invest is at an all-time low - less than a fifth of German metalworkers are planning major investments.
Situation has become dramatic
Declining orders, a shortage of skilled workers and the exorbitant increase in bureaucracy are the biggest problems for companies. Almost three quarters of metalworking companies have unfilled vacancies for skilled workers and almost half of the training places on offer cannot be filled. It is fair to say that the situation has become dramatic. It is not only the NW Metal Trade Association and individual voices from the industry that are urgently calling for positive signals from politicians.
The ZVO and other associations in our industry have also been pushing for months for factually appropriate action and the inclusion of SMEs in day-to-day politics. But so far, the needs and requirements that companies face on a daily basis continue to be ignored. Unfortunately, it seems as if the politicians in power are fervently suppressing how important a well-functioning economy is for our country. Voices that we brought back from the ZVO Surface Days call for an offensive, solution-oriented dialog between each individual company and its responsible politicians in order to emphasize the facts (read our follow-up report from page p. 36 in the current issue of mo). Another topic in Leipzig was the hydrogen economy, which is increasingly seen as a key strategy, even if there are still numerous hurdles along the way and the political strategies for overcoming them are, to put it mildly, half-baked.
Hard times come before easy times
In the end, the realization remains that times will probably get tougher for quite some time before they can get better again. Companies that have started to diversify their supply chains and rely on local sourcing during the coronavirus pandemic and have continued along this path could have major advantages in the foreseeable future. The same applies to those who have been working intensively on their resource efficiency for some time. Should there be an extended crisis in the Middle East, this could become the basis for a decisive competitive advantage.
Overall, the current situation makes it clear that the overall efficiency of companies will be even more decisive for their success in the future, regardless of the political will that prevails at the time. More than ever, companies need to optimize their energy strategy and also find ways to attract and retain new skilled workers. This requires ideas, commitment and confidence.
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