Global growth, European stagnation: Dieter G. Weiss on the state of the EMS industry

At Evertiq Expo Warsaw 2026, in4ma experts Dieter G. Weiss and Anna Żurek-Kasiewicz delivered a presentation analysing the situation in the global EMS (Electronics Manufacturing Services) market. One of the key topics was the gap between the growth rates of international markets and the situation facing European electronics manufacturers.

It is worth noting that the global EMS sector recorded significant growth in 2025, and this positive trend continued into 2026. Europe has also started to show signs of improvement, although its growth rate remains considerably lower than in other parts of the world.

However, this does not mean that the industry can expect a trouble-free period. A growing order backlog does not eliminate operational challenges. Disruptions to supply chains remain an increasingly significant issue, affecting companies' ability to fulfil orders and maintain predictable production schedules.

During Evertiq Expo Warsaw 2026, Dieter G. Weiss gave us an interview in which he discussed the most important developments in the EMS market. The conversation covered both global trends and the situation of European companies, which face different market conditions from their competitors in other regions of the world.

"(...)Starting last year already in October, a year ago, we did a research on the global EMS companies with more than USD 100 million. And out of those, we selected the biggest one hundred. And we researched their revenue numbers back for the last six years. So from 2020 to 2025, we tracked their revenue numbers, and we looked at the development. And when doing that, we all of a sudden experienced that those 100 companies had a growth rate of 23.5% in 2025," said Dieter G. Weiss.

The expert also focused on explaining the specific characteristics of the European EMS sector. He emphasised that although Europe is slightly behind the largest markets, it is not alone in struggling to catch up with the major EMS players.

“(...) Within those global one hundred, there were 23 European ones. (...) And all the others were more in the region position fifty-one to a hundred. So much smaller, yeah? And their revenues compared to the other companies, their revenues didn't grow that much, and the revenue growth we saw was in the majority mergers and acquisitions. So that is why we said 'growth abroad and no growth over here in Europe', and we need to rethink that. (...) If we look at the last five years, definitely, the growth was less. But again, not generalised Far East 'cause Japan, for example, has a similar situation. But as well, for example, Southeast Asia's companies didn't have that much, uh, growth,” Weiss pointed out.

In the interview, Dieter G. Weiss also discussed the future of the EMS market and shared his forecasts. He highlighted the growing expectations surrounding cooperation with the defence sector. For many companies, this could represent a significant opportunity, but also a considerable challenge.

“Many companies are currently trying to enter the aerospace and defence markets. This is primarily driven by new European agreements aimed at building a defence system independent of the United States. Europe is investing heavily in its defence industry. I see companies making significant efforts to obtain AS9100 certification, which is required in the aerospace industry. However, obtaining the certification does not guarantee that a company will secure orders. A large part of the business still depends on strong relationships and industry connections. Nevertheless, I can see several European companies performing significantly better than others in this area. (...) Another challenge is that many products for the defence sector are still manufactured in-house by OEMs rather than outsourced to external EMS providers,” Weiss emphasised.

The full interview is available above. It complements the presentation delivered by in4ma experts at Evertiq Expo Warsaw 2026 and provides a starting point for assessing the direction in which the European EMS sector is heading.

Evertiq Expo will return to Warsaw on 21 October 2027.