Companies in mechanical and plant engineering concluded the third quarter with an unexpectedly good month in their order books. In September 2026, they recorded an order increase of 14 percent in real terms, resulting in an order growth of 5 percent in real terms for the first nine months of the current year compared to the previous year. 'This month's result is largely based on a base effect; September 2025 was the worst month of the entire previous year. The current economic upturn is still a fragile plant and must not be trampled again by new burdens, such as an excessive wage agreement,' warns VDMA Chief Economist Dr. Johannes Gernandt.
The order increase in September was achieved both domestically and internationally. Domestic orders rose by 22 percent compared to the previous year, while foreign orders from Euro and non-Euro countries each increased by 11 percent.
In the first nine months of the current year, the order increase of 5 percent consisted of zero growth domestically and an order increase of 7 percent from abroad. Orders from the Eurozone remained 5 percent below the previous year's value during this period, while orders from non-Euro countries increased by 13 percent.
In the third quarter of 2026, companies recorded a total of 4 percent more orders, with domestic contributing a plus of 5 percent and foreign orders increasing by 3 percent (Euro countries: plus 1 percent, non-Euro countries: plus 4 percent). 'These orders give hope that we can actually achieve the expected production increase of 3 percent next year. This year, however, mechanical engineering will have to cope with another shrinking production,' summarizes Dr. Gernandt.
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