IVAM Survey 2012

Euro debt crisis leaves European micro- and nanotechnology industry largely unfazed in 2011 – expectations for 2012 slightly subdued.

The Euro debt crisis has left the microtechnology, nanotechnology and advanced materials industries largely unfazed so far. Although business has not grown as much as the companies had expected in the beginning of 2011, still more than half of them have been able to increase orders, production and sales during the past year.

In the wake of the Euro crisis, the business climate in the Euro zone has deteriorated since March 2011 according to the "Business Climate Indicator" (BCI) of the European Union. Since the end of the year it has been improving again. So probably the micro- and nanotechnology industry looks forward to 2012 with slightly lowered expectations for no apparent reason, thinking that business will grow a little less than in 2011.

A little less than half (45%) of responding companies expect that their business will continue to improve during 2012. Especially orders, production and sales are supposed to go up. Other business areas including export and financing are expected to remain stable. Only a quarter of companies are planning to increase investments in 2012.