This is a best prospect industry sector for this country. Includes a market overview and trade data.
Last Published: 8/30/2019

Overview

 2015201620172018 2019 (Estimated)
Total Local Production174.8174.6 182.2 196.0191.5
Total Exports37.739.4 43.0 43.0n/a
Total Imports64.064.5 71.8 68.8n/a
Imports from the U.S.1.92.22.42.4n/a
Total Market Size201.1199.7211.0221.8n/a
Exchange Rates1.10951.10691.12971.18101.14
(in Billion USD | total market size = (total local production + imports) – exports)

Germany has one of the largest ICT markets in the world and the single largest software market in Europe with 89,762 IT companies, 945,500 employees and a total market size of USD 221.8 Billion in 2018. There is strong demand for U.S. products and services across all segments. Key players such as Microsoft, Apple, Dell, Adobe, IBM, Oracle and SAP have large market shares. There are also many highly specialized active SME’s in the market. According to the German Association for Information Technology, BITKOM, the subsector market sizes in 2018 (in USD billion) were: IT-hardware 30.2, software 28.8, IT-services 47.1, consumer electronics 11.2, telecommunication devices 12.6 and telecommunication infrastructure 8.3.

Germany hosts several key ICT trade shows, making it a premier marketplace for U.S. companies to reach global partners and buyers. U.S. exhibitors have frequently found buyers from Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America at IFA Berlin, IT-SA, Gamescom or Embedded World.

Policy Objectives and challenges
ICT is a priority sector for the German government. Germany’s economic and innovation policy is outlined in the Digital Agenda of the BMWi (German Federal Economics Ministry). It focuses on digital infrastructure, digital economy, digital workplaces, innovative public administration, digital environments in society, education, research, science, culture and media, security, protection and confidence for society and business.
Policy objectives include cybersecurity, the digitization of the German economy and the expansion of the German broadband network. Challenges include the impact of the EU Digital Single Market, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the E-privacy Regulation on ICT companies, and the latest cybersecurity policy developments.

The U.S. Commercial Service follows these developments and continues to work with associations and multipliers such as BMWi (German Federal Economics Ministry), BITKOM (Association for Information Technology), BDI (Federation of German Industries), GTAI (Germany Trade and Investment) and AmCham (American Chamber of Commerce) to unearth opportunities and flag policy concerns.

Leading Sub-Sectors

Key segments and topics of interest include Cybersecurity, Internet of Things, Big Data, Health IT, Cloud Computing, Business IT: ERP, Data Centers, Smart Social Business Platforms, Integrated Systems, Virtual & Augmented Reality and Digital Factory. 

Opportunities

  • IT Security
  • Health IT
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Smart Social Business Platforms
  • Big Data (hardware, infrastructure, services, database and analytics technologies)
  • Enterprise Resource Planning (industry-specific ERP solutions)

Web Resources

Trade events
Gamescom
Interactive games and entertainment
Cologne, August 21-24, 2019
IFA Berlin
Consumer electronics and home appliances
Berlin, September 6 – 11, 2019
it-sa
IT security: cloud, mobile & cyber security, data & network security
Nuremberg, October 7-10, 2019
ISE-Europe
AV and integrated system
Amsterdam, February 5-8, 2019
InfoSecurity Europe
Information security
London, June 4-6, 2019
Embedded Word
Embedded Systems
Nuremberg, February 25-27, 2020
AngaCom
Telecommunications
Cologne, June 4-6, 2020
 
Trade Associations
Bitkom, Federal Association for Information Technology, Telecommunication and New Media 
Bitmi, Federal Association for Medium-Sized IT Businesses
Teletrust, IT Security Association Germany
ECO, Association of the Internet Industry
NIFIS, National Initiative for Information- and Internet-Security
German Games Industry Association, Organization that represents the German computer and video games industry
VATM, Association of Telecommunication and Value-Added Service Providers

Government Entities
Federal Office for Information Security, National cyber security authority in Germany
German Regulatory Authority, Ensures compliance with the Telecommunications Act (TKG), Postal Act (PostG) and Energy Act (EnWG) and their respective ordinances

Trade Publications
Computer Woche, Weekly newspaper for CIOs and IT-Managers about computers and information technology
CRN, Computer Reseller News magazine, Channel Partner, Portal for Technology trends, Channel-News and strategic advice for computer retailers, ICT dealers and distributors
EITO, The European IT Observatory, offering reports on the ICT and Consumer Electronics markets in Europe and Internationally

Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.