Confident outlook for industry
Cost pressure and bureaucratic hurdles are high. The shortage of skilled workers is still noticeable. Nevertheless, the mood barometer at transport logistic 2025 also shows a turnaround. In the fight against costs, emissions and cyberattacks, industry and trade are increasingly pulling together with the logistics and transport sector. 1,851 exhibitors and visitors expressed their confidence in the market situation in an online survey conducted from February 18 to March 4, 2025. Uncertainty characterizes the markets worldwide. None of the 1,851 visitors and exhibitors surveyed described their current market situation as very good.
Nevertheless, nine out of ten respondents are confident about the future. Of these, 43 percent describe the current situation as good, 48 percent as average and just under 10 percent as poor. Europeans rate the situation as worse, especially in Germany.
The most important issue worldwide is currently cost pressure. For more than three quarters of companies, it is exacerbating the market situation. Opinions are divided on the second most limiting factor. While in Germany the main complaint is bureaucracy (58 percent), abroad it is more likely to be geopolitics (49 per cent). In third place among the obstacles to success is the lack of skilled workers (48 per cent).
Despite difficult conditions, the exhibitors and visitors surveyed are rather optimistic overall; 52 per cent expect the market situation to improve over the next two years. Germany (46 per cent) is somewhat more cautious than other countries (60 per cent), while Asians (80 per cent) are particularly confident. The world’s leading trade fair for logistics, transport, mobility, IT and supply chain management offers insights into all relevant topics. The exhibition areas cover the following sectors: IT, telematics, e-business and telecommunications; intralogistics, warehouse management systems, auto ID and packaging; equipment for freight transport and services, freight transport and logistics. An overview can be found on the trade fair website. (rok)
