Manufacturing Continues to Increase Investment Spending in 2018. Results of the WIFO Spring 2018 Investment Survey

Manufacturers plan to increase their expenditure on investment by 7 percent in 2018, although in actual terms it is only the large firms who do so – small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) intend to scale back their investment. Manufacturers of capital goods and motor vehicles will raise their investments by an above-average rate. The construction industry envisages spending substantially more on investments than in the previous year (+12 percent). Overall, WIFO expects a rise in gross fixed capital formation by 4.1 percent in real terms for 2018.