VDI Verlag

What VDI Verlag does

VDI Verlag GmbH is a German specialist media company headquartered in Düsseldorf at VDI-Platz 1, operating as the publishing subsidiary of VDI e.V. (Verein Deutscher Ingenieure), one of Germany's oldest engineering professional associations. It produces VDI nachrichten, the leading opinion-forming newspaper for engineers and technical professionals in Germany covering technology, business, and society, now published biweekly in print since 2022, alongside a portfolio of specialised technical journals through its wholly-owned VDI Fachmedien subsidiary (including VDI-Z, Konstruktion, HLH, and Gefahrstoffe). The company was founded in 1923 and serves engineers, technical specialists, managers, students, and engineering employers primarily in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland).

Name

VDI Verlag

Legal name

VDI Verlag GmbH

Website

https://vdi-nachrichten.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1923

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Technical Trade Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines (MPAJAEAO)

Keywords

• Technical publishing
• Engineering journalism
• Trade media
• Professional newspapers
• Career services

Headquarters

HQ city

Düsseldorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Print and Digital Subscriptions: VDI nachrichten offers various subscription models including print-only, digital-only (E-Paper), and bundled options combining print and digital. Subscriptions include access to E-Paper archives and VDI nachrichten Plus digital content behind paywall.
2. Advertising: The company generates revenue through display advertising on its digital platforms and in print publications, marketed through iq digital media marketing GmbH.
3. Recruitment Services: Job board services through ingenieur.de and VDI nachrichten Recruiting Tag career fairs for engineering professionals.
4. Publishing Services: Publication services for VDI Fortschritt-Berichte and VDI-Berichte, as well as book sales through the VDI Shop.
5. Online Events and Webinars: Revenue from paid online events including Web-Panel and Webinar sessions, using Edudip Next platform.
6. Licensing and Rights: Revenue from licensing editorial content for republication, special prints, and press monitoring through PMG Presse-Monitor GmbH.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

VDI Verlag GmbH publishes VDI nachrichten, the weekly (now bi-weekly in print since 2022) opinion-forming newspaper for engineers covering technology, business, and society, distributed via print subscription, E-Paper (web + iOS/Android apps with archive back to 2005), and paywalled digital content (VDI nachrichten Plus). The company also operates the ingenieur.de portal, organizes Recruiting Tag career fairs and paid Web-Panel/Webinar events, and publishes technical journals including VDI-Berichte and Fortschritt-Berichte VDI under the VDI brand.

Product overview

VDI Verlag operates a multi-format publishing portfolio centered on VDI nachrichten, a weekly opinion-forming newspaper for engineers available in print, digital subscription (Plus), and electronic paper (E-Paper) formats. The E-Paper is accessible via web browser and native iOS/Android apps, with an archive spanning back to 2005. The company also runs ingenieur.de as a related technology and career portal, organizes VDI nachrichten Recruiting Tag career fairs, and hosts Web-Panel & Webinar online events. Print publications include VDI-Berichte and Fortschritt-Berichte series. The product ecosystem includes digital services like the eLibrary and Sonderdrucke (custom reprints), forming a platform of print and digital offerings for the engineering professional community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VDI nachrichten (Print) Bi-weekly opinion-forming newspaper covering technology, business, and society for engineers, delivered physically via Deutsche Post to subscribers. Covers energy, automotive, production, IT, mobility, aerospace, and career topics.
• VDI nachrichten Plus (Digital Subscription) Premium digital subscription providing access to paywalled articles enriched with photos, background reports, and multimedia elements. Updated Monday through Friday behind a paywall with weekly news alert for subscribers.
• VDI nachrichten E-Paper Digital electronic version of VDI nachrichten available bi-weekly via web browser at epaper.vdi-nachrichten.com and via iOS/Android apps. Includes access to E-Paper archive dating back to 2005; individual pages or full issues can be downloaded as PDF.
• ingenieur.de Web portal for engineers covering technology news, career information, job listings, salary testing tools, newsletters, podcasts, and recruiting event information. Operates as a distinct digital platform related to VDI nachrichten.
• VDI nachrichten Recruiting Tag Free-admission career fair events specifically for engineers, organized by VDI nachrichten. Features company presentations, networking opportunities, and job exhibition spaces connecting engineering employers with talent.
• VDI nachrichten Web-Panel & Webinare Paid online events including web panels and webinars on technical topics, delivered via the Edudip Next platform. Available as free or paid events with video recording provided after the event.
• VDI-Berichte Print publication series containing technical reports and progress reports. Part of the VDI Verlag publication portfolio alongside VDI nachrichten. Available for license and reprint.
• Fortschritt-Berichte VDI Progress reports published by VDI. Part of the print publication offerings alongside VDI nachrichten and VDI-Berichte. Available for license and special reprint.
• VDI nachrichten Sonderdrucke Custom reprints of editorial content from VDI Verlag publications, offered for corporate use such as trade shows. Available with consultation services.
• VDI nachrichten eLibrary Digital library platform providing access to VDI Verlag digital publications and resources.
• VDI Shop Online shop offering VDI publications including books, special prints, and other published materials.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• VDI e.V. (Verein Deutscher Ingenieure)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerVDI e.V. is the parent professional association for engineers in Germany. VDI Verlag operates as a subsidiary publishing VDI nachrichten and related engineering media under the VDI brand umbrella, creating a unique knowledge base for technical management and leveraging the VDI community ecosystem.
• PMG Presse-Monitor GmbHcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLicensing partner for digital press clippings. VDI Verlag provides licensing rights for digital press monitoring services through PMG, allowing subscribers to access VDI content in press compilations.
• iq digital media marketing GmbHcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDigital advertising marketing partner responsible for marketing advertising space on VDI digital platforms. Based in Düsseldorf, iq digital manages the monetization of VDI's digital advertising inventory.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Springer Nature: Global academic and professional publisher with deep engineering and scientific content. Comparable as a publisher serving engineers and technical professionals, though far larger and broader in scope than VDI Verlag's engineering news focus.
• RELX (Reed Business / Elsevier): Global information and analytics company operating engineering and trade media brands. Comparable as a publisher monetizing engineering professional audiences through subscriptions, events, and recruitment-adjacent services, though at much larger scale.
• IEEE: Global engineering professional association with publishing, conferences, and standards. Comparable as an engineering-association-affiliated publisher and event operator, though international in scope rather than DACH-focused.
• Handelsblatt Media Group: Publisher of Germany's leading business newspaper. Comparable in operating a subscription-driven German-language newspaper with digital paywall, though serving business/economic professionals rather than engineers specifically.
• Wiley-VCH: German subsidiary of Wiley publishing scientific and technical books, journals, and reference works. Overlaps with VDI Verlag's VDI-Berichte and Fortschritt-Berichte technical reference publications, though serving a more academic audience.

Emerging players

• Bitkom: German digital industry association producing publications, position papers, and events for IT and tech professionals. Comparable as an association-affiliated publisher covering an adjacent (digital/tech) professional audience, though with a different core focus than engineering.

Direct peers

• Heise Medien: German technology media company behind c't, iX, and Heise Online. Comparable as a German-language specialist technology publisher monetizing through digital subscriptions, advertising, and events for a technical professional audience.
• WEKA Media: German B2B publisher focused on technical and professional reference content, with subscription, licensing, and event revenue. Closely matches VDI Verlag's mix of subscription periodicals plus technical reference publications.
• Vogel Communications Group: German B2B media group publishing engineering and automation trade titles (e.g., elektronik industrie, MM Maschinenmarkt). Directly comparable as a Germany-based B2B engineering media company monetizing through subscriptions, advertising, and events.
• Hüthig (part of Süddeutscher Verlag / SWMH): German B2B publisher specializing in technical trade magazines for engineers and industry decision-makers. Direct comparable in target audience (engineers), content format (trade periodicals), and business model (subscriptions + advertising).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/VDInachrichten
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vdi-nachrichten

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about VDI Verlag