Capital Goods

Roland Berger delivers capital goods consulting across machine tools, shipbuilding, energy equipment and industrial automation — pairing strategic expertise with hands-on implementation.

The machine tools market is contracting – and the structural causes run deep. In automotive manufacturing, the shift from conventional powertrains to battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) is fundamentally changing demand patterns for machining and tooling equipment. Digitalization and automation are accelerating across all other segments as well. These pressures compound with weakening demand from China, US tariff uncertainty, European labor shortages and the absence of clear industrial policy – creating a heavily fragmented market that has declined for three consecutive years.

Roland Berger’s machine tools consulting practice has a proven track record of helping clients navigate exactly these conditions. We help clients define and implement strategy adjustments, restructure product portfolios and identify profitable niches in a complex competitive landscape. Drawing on cross-industry best practices, our hands-on approach focuses on mobilizing organizations quickly – keeping them innovative, competitive and financially stable through every stage of market transformation.

Maritime decarbonization is the defining strategic challenge in shipbuilding today. Dual-fuel propulsion technologies and electrification are reshaping vessel design, while autonomous operations are expanding from ports into open-sea navigation. The transfer of advanced naval technologies to commercial shipbuilding adds further complexity. Against this backdrop, ambitious delivery schedules and relentless cost pressure are forcing shipyards to modernize – even as demographic labor shortages, regional cost differentials and tight capital budgets constrain their ability to invest.

Roland Berger’s shipbuilding consulting team combines deep project expertise with a network of former industry executives and cutting-edge operational skills. Our rapid shipyard assessments identify concrete efficiency gains across key functions. We design comprehensive workforce plans and targeted recruitment strategies to address structural labor gaps. From product adjustments and dual-fuel technology roadmaps to operational cost reduction, our goal is straightforward: helping clients deliver top-quality vessels on time and on budget.

EPC firms face a dual challenge: integrating AI to boost operational efficiency while navigating deep uncertainty about the scale and profitability of green technology investment. This uncertainty makes it difficult to design target operating models and rightsize overhead functions across regions. Simultaneously, competing with Chinese players on speed, price and quality is forcing EPC companies to make clear decisions about which parts of the value chain to own and which to outsource.

Roland Berger brings full-line EPC consulting expertise – spanning strategy, AI adoption, organizational design and people transformation. We produce rigorous global, regional and local market assessments that give clients a reliable foundation for strategic decisions. Our consultants help EPC firms flexibly reconfigure their target operating models as market conditions shift, aligning organizational structure and financial performance with identified market potential.

Industrial automation is accelerating fast, driven by surging e-commerce volumes and an acute shortage of warehouse and logistics labor. Electrification – particularly lithium-ion drivetrains and energy-efficient systems – is advancing rapidly, alongside demand for circular, low-emission intralogistics solutions. Connected fleet management, telematics and predictive maintenance are becoming baseline requirements rather than differentiators. European OEMs are responding to intensifying competition from Chinese disruptors by deploying white-label strategies to defend low- and mid-price market segments.

Roland Berger’s industrial automation consulting practice combines deep engineering expertise in material handling systems with a comprehensive view of global market dynamics. We advise OEMs and system integrators on tailoring their competitive response to Chinese entrants, optimizing and scaling product portfolios, and building digitalization into the core of product and service design – all with the goal of sustaining profitability in a fast-moving global market.

Aging water infrastructure is forcing a wave of investment in modernization across the global flow control market. Regulatory pressure is accelerating demand for low-carbon materials, circular water systems, energy-efficient pumps, smart valves and IoT-enabled monitoring. For water utilities and industrial water players operating under tight capex budgets, the transition to “digital, smart and connected” infrastructure presents a major financial and operational challenge – even as it creates significant growth opportunities.

Roland Berger’s flow control consulting practice covers both product-level and system-level perspectives across the water value chain. We help water utilities, local governments, industrial water operators and building technology companies develop growth and go-to-market strategies for smart water solutions, digital monitoring and core fittings and valves. We also advise on portfolio optimization, pricing strategy and value proposition development as clients accelerate their shift to connected infrastructure.

Building technology companies face three converging strategic pressures. First, AI adoption: those who deploy pragmatic AI solutions to improve productivity and streamline operations now will hold a decisive advantage. Second, supply chain: surging demand from data center construction requires optimized, resilient supply chains that can scale at pace. Third, trade policy: rising tariffs are pushing companies to shift toward local-for-local manufacturing configurations to protect margins and market access.

Roland Berger’s building technology consulting team designs strategies that address each of these challenges with practical, measurable solutions. We guide clients through the critical steps of AI deployment – from use-case identification to full-scale implementation – ensuring technology investment translates into genuine efficiency gains. On supply chain and trade strategy, we help clients redesign their operational footprints to stay competitive across geographies.

The energy equipment sector is entering a sustained investment supercycle. Data center expansion and the global energy transition are driving strong, broad-based demand across generation, conversion and transmission infrastructure. Battery energy storage and renewable energy capacity remain growth areas, while flexible, low-emission gas turbines have emerged as the preferred bridging technology. Western manufacturers face a structural challenge: supply chain bottlenecks and labor shortages are opening the door to new regional suppliers, intensifying competitive pressure on established players.

Roland Berger’s energy equipment consulting practice covers the full spectrum – from corporate strategy and go-to-market design to operational excellence and technology integration. Our substantial industry footprint allows us to connect strategic perspectives with investor-driven requirements and hands-on implementation experience. We help energy equipment clients optimize product portfolios, realign commercial strategies and adopt AI and smart technologies to capture growth in a rapidly evolving market.

The power tools and outdoor power equipment (OPE) market is undergoing structural convergence. As the boundaries between DIY, prosumer and professional segments blur, competitive intensity is rising across the board. In a recovering market, value creation depends on sharp strategic positioning, focused product portfolios and speed to market – not incremental product innovation. Companies that delay repositioning risk losing ground to faster-moving competitors in professional niches and adjacent product categories.

Roland Berger’s power tools and OPE consulting network combines global reach with deep functional expertise across go-to-market strategy, supply chain, pricing, R&D and operations. We link strategic ambition to execution-ready solutions – helping clients sharpen their market positioning, rationalize and optimize portfolios and platforms, accelerate time-to-market and strengthen commercial excellence across all channels and customer segments.

The packaging and processing machinery industry is in the middle of a broad transformation. Customers demand seamless digital integration for real-time production control and end-to-end efficiency. Operator shortages require machines that are highly flexible, fast to changeover and consistently reliable. Sustainability regulation is reshaping material choices, which flows directly into machine design requirements. These pressures combine with rising input costs, margin erosion from low-cost emerging-market competitors and geopolitical supply chain risk – making adaptability the defining competitive differentiator.

Roland Berger’s packaging and processing machinery consulting team brings decades of experience across the entire value chain. We combine cross-functional expertise with an end-to-end perspective to help machinery makers drive digital innovation, unlock new growth opportunities and optimize cost structures. Our approach is built around holistic transformation – addressing strategy, operations, sustainability compliance and commercial performance in an integrated way.

Construction and mining equipment demand is being reshaped by two powerful forces. Global infrastructure programs and the critical minerals boom are generating strong, long-term investment demand. At the same time, electrification, autonomous systems and connected fleet management are advancing rapidly – though business cases for these technologies remain difficult to prove at scale. Aftermarket, lifecycle and rental services are growing in strategic importance, even as sustained margin pressure, geopolitical supply chain risk and low-cost Asian competitors intensify the challenge for established OEMs.

Roland Berger’s construction and mining equipment consulting team combines on-point strategy and digitalization expertise with a deep understanding of the industry. Our senior consultants hold both C&M industry and consulting backgrounds, giving clients the credibility of sector insiders alongside the rigor of top-tier advisors. With an end-to-end view – from OEMs and tier-one suppliers to dealer networks and large fleet operators – we help clients capture lasting value, improve profitability and build resilient, future-proof business models.