Machinery and Equipment Manufacturers Association

1892 - 1918

The Verein deutscher Maschinenbau-Anstalten (VDMA) was founded in Cologne in 1892 with the objective of protecting the economic interests of all German mechanical engineering companies. It has its origin in the Verein Rheinisch-Westfälischer Maschinenbauanstalten, which was founded two years earlier and aimed to improve delivery and price conditions for mining and plant machinery in particular. Its first office was in Düsseldorf.^[8] At the beginning of 1914, the year in which World War I began, 246 companies were members of the VDMA.^[9] During the war, this number rose and stood at 814 at the end of 2018. During the war years also several trade associations joined VDMA, one of them being the Verein Deutscher Werkzeugmaschinenfabriken (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association, VDW), which joined in 1916.^[10] In fall 2018, the association's long-planned move from Cologne to Berlin was completed^[11]

1918 - 1933

The VDMA coped relatively well with the post-war years until 1923, despite challenging inflation and hyperinflation. Many more companies joined the association because they recognized how important it was to represent common interests^[12] During the Weimar Republic, more than 100 mechanical engineering trade associations were members of the VDMA. In order to pool their interests and coordinate internally, there were around a dozen trade association groups^[13]

1933 - 1945

In 1934, a year after the Nazis seized power, the new government adopted the “Gesetz zur Vorbereitung des organischen Aufbaus der deutschen Wirtschaft” (Law detailing the organic construction of the German economy). As part of this process, all business associations were united under one central management system and answerable to the Reich's Minister of Economic Affairs. VDMA became part of the newly founded the Wirtschaftsgruppe Maschinenbau (mechanical engineering economic group), membership of which was also compulsory for all companies that had not previously been part of an association. This group was led by Karl Lange, the executive director of VDMA^[14] The so called Anschluss (of Austria), the establishment of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, and the military conquest of Germany's neighboring countries from September 1939 onwards led to the integration of the mechanical engineering industries in these areas and countries into Germany's armament efforts, in which the Wirtschaftsgruppe Maschinenbau and Karl Lange played an important role^[15] In November 1943, an air raid destroyed the Wirtschaftsgruppe Maschinenbau buildings in Berlin, after which this industry group relocated to other cities^[16].

1945 - 1990

In 1946, associations in the mechanical engineering sector were permitted to be founded in the British and American occupation zones (Bavaria, Greater Hesse and Württemberg-Baden)^[17] The Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Verbände der Deutscher Maschinenbau-Anstalten (working group of the associations of German mechanical engineering institutes, AVDMA) was the first supra-regional association to be founded, in 1947^[18] In September 1949, the Machinery and Equipment Manufacturers Association (VDMA) was re-established in Königstein im Taunus^[19] The association's headquarters were located in Frankfurt.^[20]

Shortly after that – in 1950 – VDMA established a liaison office in the German capital, Bonn.^[20] A year later, the Gesellschaft zur Förderung des Maschinen- und Anlagenbaus mbH (society for the promotion of mechanical and plant engineering, GzF) and the Maschinenbau Verlag GmbH (later VDMA Verlag) were founded. The aim was to strengthen the association's public relations and communications work^[21] In 1954, VDMA took part in founding the Europe Liaison Group of the European Mechanical, Electrical, Electronic and Metalworking Industries (Orgalime)^[22]

In 1966, VDMA's headquarters moved to Niederrad, a district of Frankfurt^[23] A number of sub-organizations were founded over the following years: Forschungskuratorium Maschinenbau e.V. (research association for the mechanical engineering industry, FKM) in 1968,^[24][25] Dokumentation Maschinenbau e.V. (DOMA) and the Deutsche Maschinenbau-Institut (German mechanical engineering institute, DMI) now Maschinenbau-Institut GmbH (MBI) in 1972, the Fachinformationszentrum Technik (technology information center) in 1979^[26]

In 1980, the Association changed its German name from Verein Deutscher Maschinenbau-Anstalten to Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau. The abbreviation, VDMA, remained the same^[27] During the next few years, political contacts were established and intensified on a national and international scale. For example, VDMA established a liaison office in Tokyo in 1984 because Japanese machine manufacturers had grown to become significant competitors to German manufacturers^[28] VDMA's Impuls Foundation was founded in 1989. It deals with tasks in the fields of science and research, the promotion of young talents, and international cooperation.^[29]

1990 - 2025

in 1998 the VDMA Gesellschaft für Forschung und Innovation mbH (society for research and innovation, VFI) was founded^[30] That same year, VDMA's Berlin office was inaugurated. In 2010, the VDMA launched its “Blue Competence” initiative, which aims to promote sustainability in mechanical and plant engineering.^[31] In 2024, the VDMA General Assembly decided to officially change the name: The new association name is VDMA e.V.^[32] In 2025 the VDMA launched a new brand design.^[33]