The electrical, electronics, ICT and instrument industry is amongst the largest industrial sectors in Europe. The value of production in 2009 was about € 470 billion and employment stood at an estimated 2.9 million.

As the recession set in during 2009, the volume of production contracted by 17 percent. Demand on the EU27 internal market was particularly low, whereas some export markets in Asia, especially China, showed better demand. Extra-EU exports were however unable to compensate for the steep fall in demand in Europe.

Situation in electrical engineering subsectors

The volume of production in electrical engineering machinery fell by 20 % in 2009 after beingmore or less unchanged in 2008. After having strong demand for over three years, the sub sector of motors, generators and transformers faced a substantial drop in production or by 20 percent.

All other sub- sectors, batteries and accumulators, wire and cable and domestic appliances, also recorded a contraction at about the same rate. 

ICT also affected

Business activity slowed in the ICT industry already in 2008 after a rather strong 2007. In 2009 output in volume dropped by 18 percent. The sector was weak in many countries as restructuring and structural change also affected the overall outcome for the ICT-industry.

Among sub-sectors, the computer industry faced a substantial contraction. Output in terms of volume fell by about 40 percent. Consumer electronics and electronics components managed to show a limited fall in production with just some 10 percent each.

Production in instrument engineering was also affected by the severe recession with a sharp drop in volumes.

Picture Courtesy of Orgalime