Operating environment The majority of Etteplan’s customers are industrial companies, with several global megatrends influencing the development of their operating environment at present. Structural changes in the global economy, disruptions in international trade, urbanization and climate change are all influencing companies, national economies and people’s lives. In addition to these megatrends, the engineering industry is influenced primarily by three trends: digitalization, accelerating technological development and the lack of engineering resources. These trends and the consolidation of the engineering industry will shape our operating environment and the companies that operate in it during the coming years. They will lead to a growing need for engineering services and new technological expertise Digitalization The digital transformation that is changing industry and society as a whole is continuing and picking up speed. At the same time, investments in the Internet of Things - the combination of intelligent machines, equipment, people and processes - are growing rapidly. Intelligent and connected production processes increase efficiency and change the way industry operates, enabling new business models and a redefinition of the value network in many branches of industry. Machinery and equipment manufacturers may find new paths to growth in service-based business based on analyzing and leveraging data accumulated from machinery and equipment. The increased intelligence of machines and equipment can also lead to a better understanding of how machines are used, increase their capacity and change their technical attributes. Read our Annual Review 2019 Accelerating technological development Technological development is accelerating due to the creation and application of new technologies and manufacturing methods. For example, new digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence and manufacturing methods, such as 3D printing, are revolutionizing industrial production processes and creating opportunities for new kinds of applications and technological innovations. Better manufacturability as well as local or customer-specific applications increase the number of product variations and shorten product life cycles. At the same time, concerns over climate change are forcing companies to develop environmentally friendly solutions. Read our Annual Review 2019 The lack of engineering resources The need for engineering and design services is growing globally while digitalization and the general development of technology are changing more and more aspects of society. The need for competent engineering professionals continues to grow. The lack of competent employees has even become a bottleneck to the growth for companies in certain fields of technology. In response, many countries are considering measures to increase the number of technology students. The workforce is becoming more international and engineering companies are increasingly looking for experts also outside their home markets through either recruitment or acquisitions. As technology develops, employees need a broader understanding of areas outside their specialty and must engage in more effective cooperation across different areas of technology. Read our Annual Review 2019 The consolidation of the engineering industry Customer companies in the engineering industry are aiming to focus on their core business and outsource non-core functions, reducing the number of partners they work with and engaging in closer cooperation with their selected partners. The competitive landscape in engineering has a large number of players of various sizes and competencies. The industry has been characterized by a trend of consolidation for a long time now. At the same time, the competitive situation has become even more global than before, and customer projects are broader and more complex. Having grown even larger, engineering industry companies are looking to offer as wide a range of expertise as possible to their customers. They are expanding their offering and operating area both organically and through acquisitions. Etteplan strategy Go to Etteplan strategy Etteplan story Purpose, vision and values Financial targets Acquisitions Etteplan story Read more Purpose, vision and values Read more Financial targets Etteplan updated its strategic and financial targets in December 2019. The targets for growth and profitability remained unchanged. Read more Acquisitions In acquisitions, which play a key role in our strategy, our focus is on increasing our competence capital and geographical expansion. Read more Board of Directors & Management Read more Operating environment Read more History Etteplan has set the standard in engineering design for 30 years. The company has been a pioneer in the development of engineering design and methods as well as new business models. Read more Events & webinars Read more Corporate responsibility At Etteplan, corporate responsibility is at the core of our day-to-day business as we design hundreds of sustainable solutions for the world’s leading machinery and equipment manufacturers every year. Our highly skilled personnel play a crucial role in fulfilling our customer promise. Go to corporate responsibility Financial responsibility Personnel and social responsibility Environmental responsibility Quality Code of Conduct Financial responsibility Etteplan’s operations have significant economic impacts on many different stakeholders. We pay taxes, wages, dividends and financial expenses and we purchase products and services. Etteplan’s financial performance has been strong for several years now, and our revenue and operating profit continued to grow in 2019. Etteplan’s revenue grew by 11.3 per cent and was EUR 263.3 million (236.5). Our operating profit (EBITA) rose to EUR 26.0 million (22.6). We pay taxes on our profits in all of the countries that we operate in. Read more Personnel and social responsibility Personnel and leadership development, providing career opportunities and treating employees equally are at the core of Etteplan’s human resource management. Etteplan’s Code of Conduct is the foundation of the company’s human resource management. Read more Environmental responsibility The day-to-day work of Etteplan’s environmental management is based on the standards specified in the ISO 14001 environmental system. The goals of our environmental policy include minimizing the environmental impacts of our own operations, training our personnel to recognize the environmental impacts of their work, and helping our partners observe responsibility in environmental matters. Read more Quality Read more Code of Conduct We want our employees and partners to be proud to work with us, and we want to create well-being for all our stakeholders, based on our values of customer-orientation, proactiveness and attractiveness. This is why we have written this new Code of Conduct. Its purpose is to clearly present and communicate our common set of ethical values and business principles to all employees, stakeholders and partners, as well as to provide guidance in our daily business. Read more