Market Data, Building Equipment Sector in Germany and Selected European Countries

Tasks

In continuation of this project, developments in the German building equipment sector were analysed by collecting key market data on factors like the number of companies in the sector, turnover, employees and investments. The project also provided an outlook for the sector. Finally, turnover in the German building equipment sector was roughly compared with data on selected European countries. To supplement the branch data report, a methodological report was prepared in 2017.

Methods

The official statistics for Germany do not feature a separate category for the building equipment sector. In order to include this sector in the report, it was necessary to combine parts of the industry sector, the wholesale trade and the installation skilled trades to build a “new" trade category. The data were combined to greater parts of the building equipment sector like the heating industry, the sanitation industry or the wholesale area. For these segments, characteristic figures like turnover per employee were calculated.

For the whole building equipment sector, turnover had to be consolidated in a special manner. To calculate this turnover, the interrelations between the building equipment economy and other sectors of the economy had to be taken into consideration, whereas distinctions have been drawn between the four levels – industry, wholesale, retail trade/miscellaneous and skilled trades. The supply/demand from abroad was also included in calculations. The consolidated turnover consisted of sales to end-users and foreign sales.

Data and other sources

In addition to data selected from the official statistics, information provided by the associations was also used.

Results

The nominal turnover of the building equipment sector increased in 2017 compared to the previous year. The stimuli came, among others, from the vigorous construction demand. Measures on existing buildings are on an extraordinary high level since more than a decade now. To be sure, the need for modernisation has hereby dropped. However, the unfavourable age structure of the enormous building stock, the good economic framework, as well as, the remarkable willingness to invest shown by many owners indicate buoyant construction activities also in the long-run. Among others, the businesses of the building equipment sector will benefit from this.