One in seven patent applications is filed by somebody with an migration background

They keep businesses running, bring fresh ideas into research and start new companies at an above-average rate: people with a migration background. Studies conducted by leading research institutes show that immigration has become a key factor for stability, innovation and employment in Germany.

How important are people with a migration background to Germany’s economy?

More than a quarter of all employees in Germany have a migration background. In some sectors their share is twice as high: in gastronomy and food production, more than half of all employees come from immigrant families or have immigrated themselves; in welding and joining technology, the figure is around 60 per cent. In nursing, logistics, and transport, too, people with a migration background keep things running – often in areas where skilled labour shortages are particularly severe.

In which professions have people with a migration background become indispensable?

According to the Federal Statistical Office (October 2025), their share in many shortage occupations is far above the overall labour market average of 26 per cent: 54 per cent among cooks, 48 per cent in scaffolding, 46 per cent in meat processing, and 47 per cent among bus and tram drivers. In elderly care, the share is 33 per cent, in hotel services 40 per cent, and in plastics processing 44 per cent. Without their contribution, many businesses – in sectors from care to food production to logistics – would hardly function.

How does migration influence research and innovation?

Today, around one in seven patent applications in Germany is filed by somebody with a migration background – in 2000, it was less than one in twenty. The share of inventors from India is particularly striking: patent applications among this group have increased twelvefold since the turn of the millennium and now account for just over one per cent of all inventions.

Migration strengthens innovation, too, especially in technical and scientific professions. It is also noteworthy that nearly twice as many women with a migration background file patents as women without one. So migration not only provides skilled labour, it also brings greater diversity to research.

What are the success stories behind the figures?

Behind the statistics are people who are actively involved in making Germany what it is today – and whose ideas are making an impact around the world. One well-known example of the influence of migration on research and technological development is the Mainz-based company BioNTech. Founders Özlem Türeci and Uğur Şahin developed the world’s first approved mRNA vaccine against COVID-19 – a breakthrough that shows how diversity and scientific excellence can go hand in hand. Türeci was born in Germany to Turkish immigrant parents, while Şahin came to Germany from Turkey as a child.

Another example is Ali Al-Hakim, founder of the Berlin-based company Boreal Light. He developed a solar-powered system that provides clean drinking water in Africa – more than 200 systems in 18 countries now supply over six million people. Al-Hakim received Berlin’s “Diversity in Enterprise” award in recognition of his work.

What motivates people with a migration background to start their own businesses?

According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2023, conducted by the RKW Competence Centre and Leibniz University Hannover, around one in five people with a migration background has started a business or taken steps toward doing so in the past three years – more than twice as many as people without a migration background. 

Many seek independence, economic security, or opportunities for social advancement. Others follow family role models with a tradition of entrepreneurship. At the same time, the GEM Monitor notes that many start at a disadvantage: people with a migration background or who have recently arrived often lack access to networks that connect them with capital, advice, or business partners – such as banks, investors or mentors. 

What does this mean for the future?

Germany is increasingly relying on the immigration of skilled labour. Since the reform of the Skilled Workers Immigration Act (November 2023), around 200,000 work visas have been issued – an increase of more than ten per cent. There has been particular increase in the number of international students, trainees and qualification recognition procedures. Much of the employment growth in recent years can be attributed to immigration – especially from non-EU countries.
So migration is far more than just a response to the shortage of skilled labour: it is a driver of growth – and a central force behind innovation, employment and entrepreneurial transformation in Germany.