Germany as an economic partner

Germany’s economy is the fourth-largest in the world. Robust, export-oriented small and medium-sized businesses, plus a large number of global players, form its backbone. Seen as synonymous with good quality, the “Made in Germany” label is in demand all over the world. The German economy is a strong and reliable partner in a globalised economy.
Expats and New Work
Studying work
The ABCs of New Work
Global companies on new paths
“New Work is more than new furniture”
people in Germany are in gainful employment (2020).
was Germany’s gross domestic product in 2020.
is the amount by which gross domestic product shrunk in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
was the per-capita GDP in 2020.
was spent on research and development in Germany in 2019.
were registered in Germany in 2020.
was the total value of German exports in 2020; imports amounted to 1,025 billion euros
Innovations for a bright future
The innovations of today pave the way for the world of tomorrow. Its highly innovative and efficient industrial sector is thus one of Germany’s greatest strengths. Within Europe, Germany is the country with the most patent applications. Berlin is regarded as one of the world’s leading start-up ecosystems. One of the most important buzzwords when it comes to promising new developments is artificial intelligence.
A future in a skilled craft or trade
"We need to be bolder"
Drilling for the breakthrough
The idea is only the first step


Five reasons for Germany’s innovative strength
Global trade
The import and export business by numbers
Transport hub Germany
Supply chain legislation is coming


Artificial intelligence helps people
Ahead in basic research
The people behind AI
AI future labs
The AI startup scene
The engine room of the Internet
AI is already changing people’s lives. AI is used to control processes and machines, evaluate and analyse huge volumes of data, and translate the results into decision-making aids or action recommendations.
Everything you need to know about AI in Germany can be found here:
https://www.plattform-lernende-systeme.de/startseite.html
Which forms of AI are used by German companies?
- Machine learning and computer-assisted proof (55 percent)
- Image and sound recognition (50 percent)
- Knowledge-based systems (50 percent)
- Speech and text recognition (less than 33 percent)
The main areas in which AI is used are products and services and process automation.
No progress without a green economy
Germany is an energy transition country. Roughly half of its electricity is already generated using renewable sources. Through its energy transition, Germany is playing an active role in the fight against climate change and in implementing the Paris Climate Agreement. The goal is to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. This will see climate protection and a green economy go hand in hand – in the best interests of our planet.
Germany consumes 2,514 terawatt-hours of energy per year (2019). In 2020, the proportion of renewable energy totalled 19.6 percent. But which sectors consume how much energy?
- Transport 770
- Industry 704
- Domestic households 666
- Trade, commerce, services 373


Five facts about a sustainable economy
Energy from the north
Studying sustainability
The supermarket becomes a farm
Promoting development with hydrogen
The Hydrogen Strategy
Will hydrogen become the new oil?
Health – an issue relevant to research and industry
Innovations help people – as can clearly be seen in healthcare. Without a strong research sector, coronavirus vaccines could not have been developed in such a short space of time. And without a flexible industry, many millions of vaccine doses could not have been produced so quickly. The German healthcare industry performs well in everything from pharmaceuticals research and the production of medical drugs to laboratory technology and highly precise medical technology.
The future: medicine 4.0
Innovative and export-oriented
The anti-coronavirus cluster
Tuttlingen is up there worldwide
Technology for life
Engaging in exchange with society
Training and the employment market – two stable pillars
Highly qualified, fair and socially secured – these are the goals of the German employment market. To meet them, Germany relies on its outstanding training of skilled professionals in trade and industry, schools and universities. Equal opportunities for all and a ban on discrimination are enshrined in the country’s basic law. The Federal Government has introduced a statutory minimum wage, a quota of women for leadership positions and equal pay for equal jobs within a company.


Studying forests
Germany's best employer 2019
Champions of innovation

Ready for work
Diversity
More than 3,500 public and private employers with a total of 13.4 million employees have signed up to the “Diversity Charta” to achieve equal workplace opportunities.
More information can be found here: Diversity Charta.