VDMA-VISION CEO Roundtable – Turning point expected in the VISION Year 2026

Strong interest expected for the world’s leading trade fair VISION in Stuttgart – Forecast for 2026: plus 3 percent for the European machine vision industry.

Stuttgart, May 2026 – “After three years of declining turnover, we expect a return to slight growth for the European machine vision industry in 2026,” says Daniel Seiler, Chairman of the Board of VDMA Machine Vision, on the occasion of the VISION/VDMA CEO Round Table. “Demand outside Europe was already positive in 2025, and as willingness to invest increases, the European market is following suit. Machine vision, particularly in combination with robotics and AI, remains a key technology for competitive production processes.” VISION – the world’s leading trade fair for machine vision will take place from October 6 to 8, 2026, in Stuttgart.

The European machine vision industry nevertheless continues to face a challenging environment. According to the latest VDMA survey, 2025 ended with a turnover decline of 2 percent compared to the previous year. Investment restraint in Europe has weighed heavily on the industry. Geopolitical tensions as well as unfavorable economic conditions continue to dampen business sentiment and demand, especially in Germany. This is also slowing down the European machine vision industry. For 2026, VDMA Machine Vision remains cautiously optimistic and forecasts turnover growth of 3 percent.

For component manufacturers, the turnaround already came in 2025: they recorded turnover growth of 4 percent compared to the previous year. Demand for machine vision systems, however, was significantly weaker (minus 6 percent).

An analysis by sales regions highlights the weak development of the European market, where the European machine vision industry recorded a decline of sales of 6 percent. Growth impulses for “Machine Vision made in Europe,” by contrast, came from North America (+9 percent) and Asia (plus 3 percent).

Worldwide and across industries, digitalization, artificial intelligence, smart manufacturing, and automation rank among the key growth drivers - with machine vision playing a pivotal role. Companies no longer use machine vision solely in traditional industrial sectors, but increasingly outside the factory environment as well. Rising requirements for quality and efficiency, the ongoing push toward automation, and the growing adoption of AI technologies inside and outside production ensure that the market potential for machine vision remains strong.

Despite ongoing uncertainties and challenges, the VDMA Machine Vision Association expects the European machine vision industry to return to a growth trajectory soon. The industry is eagerly anticipating VISION 2026 and expects strong interest in the world’s leading trade fair for machine vision.