Monographie_Saarland

the two branches in terms of official statistics. As a result,
even more weight is now given to companies operating as
suppliers and engineering providers for the automotive industry
(Bosch, INA Schaeffler Group, Eberspächer, Festo).
Three in four engineering employees in the Saarland will be
working more or less for the automotive sector. Another side
effect is that the export ratio of 55 percent is slightly below
the national average for the branch, because parts, com -
ponents and systems “made in Saarland” are sent to other
parts of the country to be fitted in machines before they are
exported as part of a finished product. If these indirect
exports are added to the official statistics, this results in an
export ratio of around 75 percent. Exports are therefore the
driving force.
Broad range of products
The range of products produced by the engineering sector
in the Saarland has been transformed and become highly
diversified. While the branch used to specialise in just a few
products for a handful of companies, today it offers a wide
range of products for industrial customers all over the world.
The portfolio extends from common rail systems for diesel
engines, exhaust systems, machine tools, fittings, ball
bearings and pumps through to pneumatic components
and systems. In recent years, a certain impetus has also
come from the energy turnaround. Here the Saarland’s
engineering sector contributes direct drive wind turbines
and components for wind farms, gear units, rotor heads,
rotor blades and pitch systems that align the rotor blades to
the wind, pneumatic cylinders for opening and closing rotor
blade segments together with cooling systems for wind
farms and the solar industry.
The significant role played by engineering in the local
economy is also reflected by what in some cases can only
be described as the breathtaking developments seen by
some companies such as Bosch, the INA Schaeffler Group,
Festo and Eberspächer since settling in the state during the
1960s. Together with the Hydac Group, they form the heart
of engineering in the Saarland. Apart from these “Big 5” with
altogether 12,600 employees (around 70 percent of the
branch’s total workforce), engineering in the Saarland is also
primarily made up of numerous SME companies. These
family firms stand for a culture of independence and innovation,
and for values shared with the “Big 5” such as quality,
customer orientation and proximity as well as technological
leadership in their specific segment. Their outstanding
feature frequently consists in the flexibility with which they
offer customers bespoke solutions, often in combination
with support and maintenance services. As a result, some
companies have succeeded in assuming a leading position
in the international context.
Structurally in a good position
All in all, engineering in the Saarland is structurally in a good
position and can look to the future with confidence. The
com panies score with operative excellence and stringent
business models. They act as competent troubleshooters
who meet the growing demand for individual system
solutions with bespoke offers and new, extended business
models. At the same time, the branch is facing huge
challenges. Global interdependence continues to increase,
making the situation more volatile. Low-cost providers
joining the market with meanwhile acceptable product
quality make competition even fiercer in traditional areas
where the claim “made in Germany” still stands for quality,
consequently putting pressure on margins and established
success patterns. At the same time, customers increasingly
demand individual system solutions with new requirements
for the range of services and internal processes. Changes are
also taking place with regard to product conditions (new
materials) and production processes. The impacts of digi -
tisation on the local supply chain and disruptive technol -
ogies such as 3D printing have the potential of changing
business models and revolutionising established markets.
Many companies have already seen the signs. Often they
enter into cooperation with the state’s universities and
research institutes, showing that engineering in the Saarland
has made an early start to exploiting the available potential
for product and process innovations and thus for tech -
nological advancement.
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