Slovenian and European Manufacturing Survey

The European Manufacturing Survey (EMS) is the largest European (and Slovenian) survey on manufacturing activity. We conducted the survey for the first time in 2003/04, we repeated it in 2006-07, 2009-10, 2012/13, 2015/16, 2018/19 and finally 2022/23. The coordinator of the project is the famous Fraunhofer Institute from Germany. In addition to Germany and Slovenia, the survey covers Austria, Switzerland, France, Croatia, Denmark, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Italy, Portugal, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Serbia. We send an extensive questionnaire to manufacturing companies with at least 20 employees. Manufacturers of machines and equipment, manufacturers of finished products from the metal processing industry, manufacturers of plastic and rubber products and companies belonging to the electrical industry respond to the survey. The main goal of our research is to find out what the current state of the Slovenian and European manufacturing industry is, and where we are compared to manufacturing companies from Europe in certain segments of manufacturing activity. In individual countries, we forward the results of the survey to local and national government institutions and present them at a wide variety of events, conferences, meetings and in the form of expert contributions. In the survey, we ask companies about production strategies, the use of technical and organizational innovations, about the efficient use of energy, about the services that companies offer in addition to products, digitalization of production, offshoring and backshoring production, energy and environmental aspects of production, business models, types of production and products, competitive criteria, qualifications and education of employees, etc. The fact is that we have taken a big step into the new reality of production activity, which in Germany was called Industry 4.0, which is characterized by advanced production technologies in new production areas, digitization, cloud computing, even greater interconnection of technological equipment, connection with suppliers and customers, requirements for careful use of energy and input materials, new (digital) business models, product-related services, etc. Project website: European Manufacturing Survey – Fraunhofer ISI

Contact prof. dr. Iztok Palčič E-mail: iztok.palcic@um.si Phone: 00386 2 220 76 36