Sensor and Measurement at All-Time High: Turnover and Export Quota Soared

 

The AMA Association for Sensors and Measurement (AMA) polled its members in January regarding the economic development in 2018. According to their statements, they generated an increase in revenue of ten percent last year and anticipate a further rise of five percent for 2019.

 

Thus, the sensor and measuring industry is ahead of the overall trend in Germany, as the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) declared a slight rise for the German economy in 2018, but stated that some of the impetus during nine successive years was lost. However, the sensor and measuring industry had predicted eight percent for 2018, but achieved a ten percent increase in turnover. Impulses for this growth, says the Association came from domestic as well as foreign demand. This is corroborated by an increased export quota of four percentage points to 55 percent. Exports outside of the EU particularly rose, while the exports to central Europe dropped by two percentage points.

 

Economic Effect on the Sensor Industry by the Brexit

The positive export development to countries outside of Europe is reflected by the fact that about one third of the AMA members fear that a Brexit may have a great impact on the economic development of their own enterprises. Just about seventy percent of the members see a Brexit serenely and assume a rather lesser impact on their business activities.

 

“The AMA statistics show that the products and services of our members are in greater demand than ever and with an expectation of plus five percent for the current year this will surely not change,” says Thomas Simmons, general manager of the AMA Association, commenting on the development of the sensor and measurement industry. “Sensors are the basic elements of technical advance. The positive development is pushed by the 2025 high-tech strategy of the German federal government, formulating interdepartmental objectives and attacking social challenges.”

 

Quantum-Leap Innovations from Sensors and Measurement 

The AMA Association finds the foundation of an Agency for the Advancement of Quantum-Leap Innovation (Agentur zur Förderung von Sprunginnovationen) particularly positive. Groundbreaking ideas are to be turned into market successes. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Ministerium für Bildung und Forschung) states areas in medical research, new mobility concepts, and artificial intelligence as examples. “These three examples let us conjecture that many of the projects will involve the application of sensor and measuring technology. In fact, I can imagine that one or another of the AMA Innovation Award winners could be among the sponsored quantum-leap innovators,” muses Simmons in view of the positive outlook for the sensor and measurement industry.