Sensors and measurement technology
Sales growth with declining incoming orders
The AMA Association for Sensors and Measurement conducts a quarterly survey of its 450 members on economic development. Following a slight increase in turnover in the second quarter, the industry was able to generate a further 2% increase in the third quarter. Incoming orders, on the other hand, declined by one percent for two consecutive quarters.
While household consumption and government spending have increased, heavily export-dependent industries are experiencing economic difficulties due to global economic changes. While automotive and mechanical engineering were previously reliable guarantors of a growing economy, a downturn in these sectors is leading to a gloomier outlook in the supplier industries, which include sensor and measurement technology.
"At first glance, you might think that we are dealing with inconsistent seasonal or statistical fluctuations," comments Thomas Simmons, Managing Director of the AMA Association, on the latest industry statistics. "Two slightly falling quarterly sales were followed by two similarly slightly rising quarters. The expectation for the current final quarter of 2019 is a slight drop in turnover of one percent. This is due to weak sales in our three most important customer industries: Automotive, mechanical engineering and electrical engineering. The next most important sales market for our members is medical technology; although this is less susceptible, it can only cushion this negative effect somewhat."
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