VDMA and VISION start countdown to VISION 2024 in Stuttgart

18 Apr 2024

As VDMA says the European MV industry “unlikely to return to growth before end of 2024”.

The 31st edition of VISION, the biannual expo and conference for machine vision, will be held at the Stuttgart Trade Fair Center from 8–10 October, 2024. Partner associations, advisory board members and media representatives met this week to get a foretaste of the forthcoming event and review the current state of the industry.

A highlight of the meeting was the VISION-VDMA CEO round table featuring vision heavyweights Basler AG, MVTec Software, and Teledyne, alongside the VDMA’s Machine Vision division. The focal points of the Round Table were the challenges and future opportunities in the machine vision industry.

“The European machine vision industry has experienced exceptional growth over the last decade and is a very attractive industry,” said Mark Williamson, Chairman of the Board of the VDMA Machine Vision Division during the VISION / VDMA CEO Round Table.

“Unfortunately, due to the current economic and geopolitical situation, we were unable to replicate the records from previous years. Although we are starting to see some initial improvements, it is unlikely that the European machine vision industry will return to its growth course before the end of 2024.”

In spite of current uncertainties and challenges, the VDMA Machine Vision Division is convinced that the European machine vision industry will deliver more success stories. The market potential for machine vision technology will increase still further with the arrival of new AI technologies and approaches. The VDMA is expecting an upturn after autumn 2024.

‘VISION on pleasing development path’

During the sneak preview, Florian Niethammer, Head of Trade Fairs & Events at Messe Stuttgart, stated, “In spite of challenging market conditions, VISION is on a pleasing development path and reflects the positive expectations and development opportunities in the industry.

“So far, 385 exhibitors from 37 countries have already registered. We are receiving new inquiries every day and the 400-company mark will soon be reached. Compared with the previous event, in 2022, we are expecting an increase of more than 10 per cent in the number of exhibitors by October.”

Industry comments

Mark Williamson, Chairman of the VDMA Machine Vision Division, said, “VISION continues to be the place where worldwide manufacturers of machine vision technology present their latest developments. If you use machine vision technology, making a visit is essential in order to understand the trends and new technologies, and to meet your suppliers.”

Dr. Olaf Munkelt, MD of MVTec Software, said, “This event showcases the technological trends in the international machine vision industry and attracts large numbers of visitors every two years. The first-rate discussions with trade visitors are what makes VISION so special.”

Hardy Mehl, CFO and COO at Basler, said, “It is a unique opportunity to meet existing and new customers, suppliers and partners, and interesting start-ups. Networking and the inspiration gained through innovative products, talks and podium discussions with leading machine vision experts are extremely profitable. We are expecting a large number of innovations in the field of AI at VISION 2024.

Mehl added, “In the area of cameras there is a trend towards more megapixels and higher bandwidths, including solutions for handling high processing loads with pre-processing at the edge. Focal points on the software side are user-friendly image analysis software solutions.”

Dr. Martin Klenke, Director Business Development at Teledyne, said, “We regard VISION 2024 as one of the most important events for the European machine vision market. It represents an ideal opportunity to make direct contact with existing and new customers.”