E · Germany Inc.
Wirtschaft & Innovation
Business and innovation
How Europe's largest economy actually works — from global giants to family-owned hidden champions. Every profile links to the company's own site and careers page.
Wie Deutschland wirtschaftet
Concepts that explain German business
Mittelstand
Small and medium-sized, often family-owned firms — many are 'hidden champions' leading niche world markets.
Duale Ausbildung
Apprentices split time between a company and vocational school — a pillar of skilled work.
Mitbestimmung
Co-determination: employee representatives sit on supervisory boards of large companies.
Betriebsrat
The works council, elected by employees, with rights on working hours, hiring and more.
Cluster
Industrial regions: cars around Stuttgart and Munich, chemicals on the Rhine, tech in Berlin.
Unternehmensprofile
Company profiles
Industrial technology
Siemens
Automation, smart infrastructure, rail and digital industries.
- Model:
- B2B hardware + industrial software
- Markets:
- Europe, USA, China
Moving from machines to 'digital twins' — simulating factories before they're built.
- die Digitalisierung — digitalisation
- der Zug — train
Enterprise software
SAP
ERP and cloud software running finance, supply chains and HR of global firms.
- Model:
- Subscription cloud + licences
- Markets:
- Global
Shift to cloud and AI copilots inside business processes.
- die Lieferkette — supply chain
- das Unternehmen — company
Automotive & mobility
BMW Group
Premium cars and motorcycles: BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce.
- Model:
- Premium manufacturing
- Markets:
- China, USA, Europe
'Neue Klasse' platform bets on electric architecture.
- das Fahrzeug — vehicle
- die Batterie — battery
Automotive & mobility
Volkswagen Group
World's largest carmaker group: VW, Audi, Porsche, Škoda and more.
- Model:
- Multi-brand mass + premium
- Markets:
- China, Europe, Americas
Platform sharing across brands creates scale.
- die Marke — brand
- das Werk — plant
Engineering & technology
Bosch
Mobility parts, power tools, home appliances, industrial tech.
- Model:
- Diversified; foundation-owned
- Markets:
- Global
Owned mainly by a charitable foundation — long-term thinking built in.
- die Stiftung — foundation
- das Werkzeug — tool
Chemicals
BASF
The world's largest chemical producer, based in Ludwigshafen.
- Model:
- 'Verbund' integrated production
- Markets:
- Global
The Verbund links plants so one's by-product feeds another.
- die Chemie — chemistry
- die Nachhaltigkeit — sustainability
Pharmaceuticals
BioNTech
Mainz biotech behind the first approved mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.
- Model:
- R&D-led biotech with partners
- Markets:
- Global
Founded by Uğur Şahin and Özlem Türeci — an immigrant success story.
- die Forschung — research
- der Impfstoff — vaccine
Logistics
DHL Group
Express, freight, supply chain and e-commerce logistics in 220+ countries.
- Model:
- Network logistics
- Markets:
- Global
Global trade flows become visible in parcel volumes.
- das Paket — parcel
- die Lieferung — delivery
Interested in working at one? See the Job Opportunity Radar.
German Business Briefing
Wirtschaftsbriefing
Dated, sourced and clearly labelled
No live news feed is connected. This is a curated reading list plus briefings added by the batch — each must cite a source and date.
Editorial reading list · not live news
- Deutsche Welle — Business →
English & German coverage
- Handelsblatt (German) →
Leading business daily
- Destatis — Federal Statistical Office →
Official economic data
- Germany Trade & Invest →
Sector reports
- Bundesbank monthly report →
Macro analysis
Publish a briefing
Link a real article from a credible source. A publication date and source are required.
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Made in Germany
Company directory
Headquarters, products and official links — not live performance data
Telecommunications
Deutsche Telekom
HQ: Bonn
Mobile, broadband, IT services; majority owner of T-Mobile US
Pharma & crop science
Bayer
HQ: Leverkusen
Pharmaceuticals, consumer health, crop science
Insurance & asset management
Allianz
HQ: Munich
Insurance; asset managers PIMCO and Allianz GI
Semiconductors
Infineon
HQ: Neubiberg (Munich)
Power semiconductors, automotive and IoT chips
For current results and news, use each company's investor-relations page or the Newsroom. We don't show financial figures we can't source.