The board of the VDMA Machine Vision department 2021-2024. From left to right: Donato Montanari (Deevio), Martin Klenke (Teledyne Imaging), Mark Williamson (STEMMER IMAGING), Uwe Wiedermann (ISRA VISION), Olaf Munkelt (MVTec Software), Horst -Heinol Heikkinen (Asentics), Olaf Munkelt MVTec Software), Heiko Frohn VITRONIC). Not pictured: Hardy Mehl (BASLER AG). Source: VDMA eV
"The machine vision industry is in a state of transition. In recent years, we have seen many changes including company consolidations along with significant technological developments. We have the emergence of new players including start-ups, international corporations, and internet giants. Vision is seen as a key technology in the trend toward digitalization, both in and outside the factory environment creating a lot of interest in vision technology. The European machine vision industry is in an excellent position. Between 2013 and 2019, turnover in Germany alone grew by an average of 9% per year. In 2020, while turnover declined by 4% due to Covid-19, the decline was nowhere near as drastic as in many other industries with good prospects for future growth. It is important to strengthen this excellent standing, to open up further growth markets in the industrial and non-industrial environment and to include new players. The VDMA Machine Vision division, with over 115 members across Europe, has an important role to play in enabling this potential growth," Williamson said. "Our thanks go to the former chairman, Klaus-Henning Noffz, who during his 9 years on the board of VDMA Machine Vision (including the last three years as chairman) has achieved many things for the industry with a great deal of commitment.”
Klaus-Henning Noffz has decided not to stand for re-election for personal reasons.
For the period 2021 - 2024, the following industry representatives will lead and guide the affairs of the VDMA Machine Vision division:
- Dr. Heiko Frohn, CTO, Vitronic Dr.-Ing. Stein Bildverarbeitungssysteme GmbH, Wiesbaden, Germany
- Dr. Horst Heinol-Heikkinen, founder and CEO, Asentics GmbH & Co. KG, Siegen, Germany
- Dr. Martin Klenke, director business development, Teledyne Imaging, Heidelberg, Germany
- Hardy Mehl, CFO, COO and CMO product business, Basler AG, Ahrensburg, Germany
- Donato Montanari, board member, Deevio GmbH, Berlin, Germany
- Dr. Olaf Munkelt, co-founder and managing director, MVTec Software GmbH, München, Germany
- Uwe Wiedermann, vice president smart factory automation, Isra Vision AG, Darmstadt, Germany
- Mark Williamson, part of Stemmer Imaging AG’s senior leadership team and managing director, Stemmer Imaging Ltd., Tongham, Surrey, United Kingdom
At the VDMA Robotics Group meeting, which took place online within the VDMA Robotics + Automation Members' Assembly, a new board was elected for the period 2021-2024. Volker Spanier was confirmed as chairman of the board for the robotics group.
After a sharp decline in sales last year, robotics is undergoing a positive turnaround with a high increase in sales for the current year. Significant application potential for robotics exists in the area of small and medium-sized enterprises and in human-robot collaboration. According to Spanier, the Executive Board expects the positive development to continue in 2022.
The new board of the VDMA robotics department is composed as follows:
- Andrea Alboni, general manager Western Europe, Universal Robots (Germany) GmbH, Munich
- Daniel Bunse, CEO, Rethink Robotics GmbH, Bochum
- Dr. Klaus Kluger, general manager Central East Europe, Omron Electronics GmbH, Langenfeld
- Martin Kullmann, head of customer service, ABB Automation GmbH, Friedberg (Hesse)
- Alexander Mühlens, head of business unit low cost automation, igus GmbH, Köln
- Michael Otto, chief sales officer, robotics, KUKA Deutschland GmbH, Augsburg
- Volker Spanier, head of manufacturing solutions, Epson Deutschland GmbH, Meerbusch
- Ralf Winkelmann, managing director, FANUC Deutschland GmbH, Neuhausen a.d.F.
