VDMA Plastics and Rubber Machinery: Growth Expected for 2027

19/06/2026

Germany's plastics and rubber machinery sector is looking ahead with cautious optimism: for 2026, the VDMA Plastics and Rubber Machinery industry association expects revenues to stabilize, with modest growth projected for 2027.

Several factors are providing tailwinds:

Recovering demand from the USA (2025: 16.4% share of total exports at €898 million), where robust demand for packaging and medical technology persists, and Asia, with a focus on China (2025: 22.8% at €1,243 million).
A growing business segment around sustainability and recycling: plastics recycling is increasingly becoming a strategic lever for supply security and resilience, also driven by regulatory impulses from Europe and China.
Digitalization, AI and automation are seen as further drivers for new business models.

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Sandra Füllsack, Chair of the VDMA Plastics and Rubber Machinery association, sums it up: "We stand for technology leadership and innovative technology. We are advancing digitalization and automation in production."

Verena Thies, Vice President of VDMA, adds: "The industry is operating in a challenging environment, but at the same time demonstrating its strong adaptability and global presence. VDMA member companies and the association together form a powerful, worldwide network that pools knowledge and strategically develops regional markets."

VDMA member companies operate more than 2,600 international subsidiaries worldwide, some of which include production facilities.

A man with a receding hairline, glasses, and a graying beard, Thorsten Kühmann, is being interviewed by a woman with dark hair; Copyright: VDMA/Photo by Anna McMaster

Thorsten Kühmann (Managing Director of the Plastics and Rubber Machinery Division at VDMA) being interviewed; Copyright: VDMA/Photography by Anna McMaster

Group photo of nine people, the VDMA Plastics and Rubber Machinery Executive Board; Copyright: VDMA/Photo by Anna McMaster

Executive Board of the Plastics and Rubber Machinery Division at VDMA (two members not pictured); Copyright: VDMA/Photography by Anna McMaster