VDDI - Expectations for 2019/ VDDI - Export Business 2018

German dental industry continues to grow despite difficult environment

In 2018, the 207 member companies of the Association of German Dental Manufacturers still had more than 21,000 domestic and foreign employees. The total number of employees rose again by almost one percent.

The VDDI member companies generated a total turnover of nearly 5,3 billion Euros in 2018. It was 0.7 percent above the 2017 result. Of this sum, 3,4 billion euros were earned in export markets, an increase of 1 percent.

The domestic sales in 2018 were almost identical with the year before. Last year again it was just over 1,9 billion euros. Forty-one percent of companies questioned by the Dental Association recorded higher domestic sales. Expectations for 2019, the year of the IDS, are also positive. Fifty-three percent of member companies forecast sales increases in the year of the trade fair and a further 45 percent a sales on the previous year's level.

Foreign business still positive

Because of the growth in foreign sales, the dental industry in Germany recorded an export quota of more than 63 percent in 2018. As a result, the VDDI member companies reaffirmed their market position on the world markets. Overall, 41 percent of those polled reported increasing sales outside Germany, another 40 percent of firms reported foreign sales results on the previous year's level. Here is a detailed review of the survey results from the most important sales regions:

• Our strongest market besides domestic sales is still Western Europe. Half of the respondents reported an increase in sales in 2018 and almost 40 percent continued to show business performance at 2017 levels.
• Eastern Europe continues to develop positively: Forty-four percent of the companies reported increasing sales in this region. At 43 percent, it was at least stable compared with the previous year.
• In dental markets in the Far East, 44 percent of companies surveyed by the VDDI recorded increases and a further 35 percent of sales achieved at the previous year's level.
• Forty percent of the trustee survey participants in the North American sales market were able to expand on their business activities. In addition, 40 percent of the VDDI members reported sales at the level of the 2017 financial year.
• In the year under review 36% of the respondents reported a rise in sales in the Middle and Far East East. In another 39 percent of companies, it remained unchanged at the 2017 volume.
• Sales regions in Central and South America tended to perform somewhat weaker than the other markets, but slightly positive overall. Thirty percent of the respondents recorded an increase in turnover there, 48 percent of the companies reported stable sales from this region, 22 percent reported a decrease in sales.
• Conclusion: The export business was again the mainstay of the growth in sales of the German dental industry in 2018. It is gratifying that prospects for the current financial year 2019 are again positive. Sixty-two percent of the companies are confident that they will be able to achieve growth in the export business, perhaps even with tailwind from the IDS. One third expects at least foreign sales on the same level as in 2017. Only 5 percent expect a decline in sales in the markets outside Germany.

 
^{Source: VDDI Trustee Survey 2019}