Regional Business Review

EMEA region

Bystronic generates about half of its sales in the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East and Africa). Due to economic uncertainty and structural weakness in key markets in the Eurozone, customers remained cautious, which led to delays in numerous project orders. Order intake declined 19% to CHF 299 million (–17% at constant exchange rates), which also reduced the order backlog. This resulted in sales of CHF 291 million, a decline of 36% (–34% at constant exchange rates) in comparison to the previous year.

In 2024 Bystronic realized several Smart Factory projects in the EMEA region, thereby enabling full production automation and the digitalization of all processes for our customers. A key building block of the automation is our BySoft Suite, which completely networks all production and business processes, enabling significantly improved productivity.

Americas region

The Americas region is a very attractive market with high potential and good growth opportunities for Bystronic thanks to continued investments in automation and Smart Factories.

Nevertheless, 2024 was a challenging year in the USA. The uncertainty surrounding the US presidential election resulted in extended decision-making processes by our customers. Continued high interest rates also contributed to cautious capital allocation. In the USA, Bystronic is disproportionally active in the agricultural market with OEMs and their suppliers. Lower prices for agricultural produce led to a decline in farmersʼ willingness to invest, resulting in lower demand for agricultural machinery.

Due to the restrained market development, order intake declined 23% to CHF 222 million (–21% at constant exchange rates). Sales of CHF 256 million were 24% (–21% at constant exchange rates) below the previous year.

China region

The Chinese economy performed weakly in 2024 due to global economic conditions and geopolitical tensions. Overcapacity, competitive pressures and subdued economic growth all significantly impaired the Chinese market. Investments in capital goods were extremely limited over the entire year. Especially in the sheet metal processing industry, there was intense competition in local markets. Many Chinese competitors significantly reduced their prices to remain competitive.

Order intake declined 13% (–9% at constant exchange rates) to CHF 57 million and sales were down 12% (–8% at constant exchange rates) to CHF 56 million.

There is growing demand for automation in China. With our Competence Center for Automation in Shanghai, Bystronic won the trust of customers and successfully realized important Smart Factory projects.

DNE, Bystronicʼs entry-level brand, is facing intense competitive pressure in China. Outside of China, where Bystronic markets these products through specialized partners, there is increasing demand in the entry-level segment worldwide and the business is developing well.

The China region recovered somewhat in the second half of the year and order intake was up more than 20% over the first half of the year.

APAC region

The APAC region (Asia Pacific), one of the fastest growing economies, offers Bystronic great opportunities. This region is benefiting from the transfer of production capacity out of China to southeast Asia, which is leading to increased demand for sheet metal processing solutions. At the same time, Chinese competitors in the entry-level segment are increasingly active in this market.

Order intake fell 32% (–28% at constant exchange rates) to CHF 48 million in 2024. Sales declined 41% (–38% at constant exchange rates) to CHF 46 million.

At the beginning of 2024, customers were cautious due to economic uncertainties. The second half of the year, however, developed more positively and thanks to targeted customer events, order intake increased by more than 60% compared to the first half of the year.