Stuttgart – – October 31, 2026 -- Foreign orders for grinding technology fell 51% in January and February 2026, even as GrindingHub opened in Stuttgart with 462 exhibitors from 28 countries. The trade fair is running against a weak demand backdrop for machine builders, tool makers and industrial users.
Foreign orders drop 51% while domestic orders rise 35%
Grinding technology orders declined by about 5% in 2025, with the sharpest losses in the domestic market. Production fell 19% last year and exports dropped 24%. The export ratio slid to roughly 76%, the lowest level in about six years.
The first two months of 2026 widened the gap between markets: foreign orders fell 51%, while domestic orders gained 35%.
Markus Heering, managing director of the VDW (German Machine Tool Builders' Association), described the sector as cyclically challenged but structurally strong. He said the industry relies on precision, technological depth and continuous gains in process efficiency, and that investment in more productive solutions is gaining weight in a difficult environment.
GrindingHub draws more than 50% of exhibitors from abroad
The show covers the full grinding value chain: machines, tools, measurement technology, automation, software and services. More than half of the 462 exhibitors come from outside Germany.
Roland Bleinroth, managing director of Messe Stuttgart, said Baden-Württemberg ranks among Europe's most important industrial regions and that strong company participation confirms the location's role for grinding technology.
VDW and aiXbrain debut AI chatbot Hubi for visitor planning
The 2026 edition introduces Hubi, an AI-based chatbot developed by the VDW together with aiXbrain GmbH of Aachen. Visitors can search for exhibitors, technologies or applications, and Hubi links matching items from the supporting program to their interests.
The system draws on data from the online exhibitor catalog and content from exhibitor websites, prepared for the trade fair context. Alexander Broos, head of research and technology at the VDW, said Hubi is still under continuous development and invited visitors to test it and help shape its evolution.
Redesigned Grinding Solution Forum targets real production problems
The completely restructured Grinding Solution Forum follows a "challenge – solution – insight" format. Topics span process stability and quality, automation, data, digitalization and AI, as well as profitability and the future outlook for grinding technology. Short practice sessions are complemented by interactive co-creation workshops that bring exhibitors and audience together to develop solutions.
Heering named cost pressure, skilled labor shortages, sustainability and automation as the key decisions facing the industry.