Dr. starts with strong reception. Markus Baldinger, Managing Director at PÖTTINGER Landtechnik GmbH in Grieskirchen (Upper Austria), for the second term as Chairman of VDMA Austria. Dr. Baldinger was unanimously re-elected as chairman of VDMA Austria, the first European regional association in the VDMA outside Germany, after taking over the chairmanship from Dr. Christoph Steger, ENGEL Austria GmbH, took over. For 24 years now, Dr. Baldinger has worked for PÖTTINGER Landtechnik and has been managing director for research, development and digitalization for over eight years. In addition to the chairmanship of the VDMA Austria, Dr. Baldinger has been a board member of the VDMA Agricultural Engineering Association for years.
Also unanimously re-elected as deputy chairmen were Mag. Alexander Melkus, managing partner of SIGMATEK GmbH & Co. KG, Lamprechtshausen (Sbg.), and Ing. Mag. (FH) Martin Mühlbacher, managing director of INNIO Jenbacher, Jenbach (T). A total of 25 managing directors from the mechanical engineering industry from all nine federal states were elected to the board for the first time at the general meeting on October 24, 2024.
Mechanical and plant engineering creates wealth and added value in Austria and Europe
“Mechanical and plant engineering in Austria and Europe is going through an extremely difficult economic phase. As members of VDMA Austria, we are pooling our strengths to work together with the VDMA members in Germany and other 21 European countries in which VDMA members are represented to promote competitive location conditions in Europe,” says Dr. Baldinger and adds: “As a mechanical and plant engineering company, we also face the great challenge of mastering the digital and sustainable transformation so that added value is created for customers, employees and companies and we maintain our strong position as Austria as a mechanical engineering country. In the VDMA as a European network, we can only succeed in this together.”
The VDMA network in Austria has grown significantly
The VDMA, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, is the largest mechanical and plant engineering association in Europe with around 3,600 member companies, 400 of which are outside Germany. Own country offices in Benelux, Italy and Poland strengthen local networks. In 2017, the association founded the VDMA Austrian office in Vienna to provide regional support for its then 40 Austrian member companies.
The VDMA has now established itself as the most important industry association in Austria, including at the national level. “In the first 10 months of 2024, VDMA Austria invited people to over 100 VDMA events with over 9,000 participants. We support our 140 Austrian member companies with current and practice-oriented exchanges of experiences. We can rely on over 800 experts from the VDMA group. Our members support us with best practice examples. With 36 billion in sales in mechanical engineering in 2023, Austria is in fifteenth place worldwide and has an export quota of over 85 percent,” says Georg C. Priesner, Managing Director of VDMA Austria since 2017.
The new VDMA Austria board
The board sets the goals of the work of the VDMA Austrian regional association and usually meets twice a year to discuss current and future topics in mechanical and plant engineering and to jointly advocate for mechanical and plant engineering to politicians, authorities and the public.
“I am very pleased that all strong mechanical engineering sectors in Austria are represented with a total of 25 members and that we also have members from all federal states on the board for the first time,” says Mag. Georg C. Priesner and adds: “The excellent regional and cross-industry Coverage on the board ensures that we can act as a strong voice for mechanical and plant engineering in Austria and Europe.”
In addition to the chairman and the two deputy chairmen, the new board includes:
-Dr. Heinz Autiker, Scheuch Management Holding, Aurolzmünster (Upper Austria),
-Dr. Thomas Berndorfer, TTTech Industrial Automation AG, Vienna,
– Ing. Stefan Bogner, MSc, MBA, Wacker Neuson Linz GmbH, Hörsching (Upper Austria),
– Lennart M. Braun, MA HSG, Braun Maschinenfabrik Ges.m.bH., Vöcklabruck (Upper Austria),
– Dipl.-Ing. Dietmar Buxbaum, Buxbaum Automation GmbH, Eisenstadt (Bgld.),
-Dr. Gerhard Dimmler, ENGEL AUSTRIA GmbH, Schwertberg (Upper Austria),
– Dipl.-Ing. Christoph Feyerer, KOMPTECH GmbH, Frohnleiten (Stmk.),
– Dipl.-Ing. Michael Fuchshuber, STIWA Automation GmbH, Attnang (Upper Austria),
– Ing. Mag. Dietmar Heinisser, ANDRITZ AG, Graz (Stemk.),
– Alois Kitzberger, MBA, UNTHA shredding technology GmbH, Kuchl (Sbg.),
– Ing. Mag. Michael Lackner, Lindner-Recyclingtech GmbH, Spittal an der Drau (Ktn.),
– Ing. Mag. Thomas Lutzky, MBA, Phoenix Contact GmbH, Wien,
– Dipl.-Ing. Franz Mathi, KNAPP AG, Hart near Graz (Stemk.),
– Dipl.-Ing. Michael Mehnert, BEKUM Maschinenfabrik Ges.mbH, Traismauer (Lower Austria),
– Dipl.-Ing. Thilo Preß, TRUMPF Maschinen Austria GmbH & Co KG, Pasching (Upper Austria),
– Dipl.-Ing. Karl Purkarthofer, MBA, Primetals Technologies Austria GmbH, Linz (Upper Austria),
– Dipl.-Ing. Felix Sorger, MBA, FMW Förderanlagen GmbH, Kirchstetten (Lower Austria),
– Dipl.-Ing. Holger Streitz, MSc, Liebherr-Werk Nenzing GmbH, Nenzing (Vbg.),
– Mag. Wolfgang Theiner, MBA, COSMO CONSULT GmbH, Seiersberg (Stmk.),
– Ing. Rudolf Vogl, Koenig & Bauer (AT) GmbH, Maria Enzersdorf (Lower Austria),
– Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Rainer Weingraber, MBA, Wittmann Battenfeld GmbH, Kottingbrunn (NÖ),
– Mag. Dietmar Wiesinger, MBA, CANCOM Austria AG, Vienna.