Germany Trade & Invest

🔢 🔢 🔢 Friday Figure!🔢 🔢 🔢 More entrepreneurs founded #startups in #Germany in the first half of 2026 than in any comparable period – one main reason is #artificialintelligence. The first six months of this year saw the founding of a record 3053 fledgling tech companies. That’s according to a study carried out by the interest group Startup-Verband and the database startupdetector. The figure represents an increase of 52 percent over the second half of 2025. More than a third (1038) of the new start-ups are involved in artificial intelligence, once more underscoring the importance of AI for Germany’s innovation ecosystem. “The increase in new AI start-ups is no accident since Germany offers innovative young companies direct access to businesses in industry, mobility and energy that are actively looking for AI solutions,” explains Germany Trade & Invest AI expert Asha-Maria Sharma. “That means new technologies can be tried out early on and brought to market more quickly. The connection between innovative founders and powerful business partners is one of Germany’s central competitive advantages as a business location.” Conversely, the study found that AI is allowing entrepreneurs to establish companies more quickly and easily and helping them save on initial capital expenditures. With 844 companies founded, software remains the strongest sub-sector. Want to learn more about founding a start-up in Germany? Let's talk at www.gtai.com. As a government agency, we provide our consultations free of charge.

#Germany already has one of Europe's most technologically advanced markets for green hydrogen. Now its scientists are harnessing artificial intelligence to make #hydrogen (H2) production more efficient, reliable and transparent. Luc Graré, Chief Strategy Officer at the French hydrogen producer Lhyfe, explains how it works. https://lnkd.in/dFWRKyAJ

Germany's governing cabinet has greenlighted an increase in support from the European Recovery Program (ERP) for 2027. The €12 billion earmarked for small and medium-sized German businesses next year represents an increase of €600 million over 2026. ERP support focuses on increasing SME access to financing as well as on the key areas of innovation, digitalization and venture capital. The German Ministry of Economic Affairs said in a statement that the cabinet decision would improve growth prospects and competitiveness for German SMEs. ERP funds are administered by Germany’s economic development bank, the KfW, together with commercial banks in the form of long-term, low-interest loans.

The German government is turbocharging #venturecapital capacity in the country with the so-called #Deutschlandfonds (Germany Fund). It brings a range of financing mechanisms under one umbrella.  The ambition is to mobilize up to €130 billion in total investment. https://lnkd.in/g45vxKqN

World-leading high-performance electronics company Delta Energy Systems, a subsidiary of Taiwan's Delta Electronics, is expanding its capacity for innovation in western Germany. The new 10,000-square-meter facility in the western German city of Soest will develop ultra-efficient #electricity supply solutions for AI and high-performance #datacenters and eletro-mobility. “For decades, Soest has been a key driver of innovation for Delta in the EMEA region, and this expansion underscores our commitment to further developing our local research and development capabilities in Europe,” said Delta CEO Peter Ide in a statement. “It enables closer collaboration with our customers and faster development of advanced and sustainable solutions for data center and automotive applications. In the field of AI, our teams in Soest are making a significant contribution to the development of modern power supply solutions across the entire ‘grid-to-chip’ value chain.” The expansion is expected to cost EUR 25 million. Delta currently employs some 450 people from 35 nations in #Soest.

🏃➡️ 🏃♀️➡️ 🏃♂️➡️ FRIDAY FIGURE!🏃 🏃♂️ 🏃♀️ Things are heading in the right direction for the athletic shoe industry in Germany. Steady growth is predicted from now through the rest of this decade. Jogging shoes make up roughly a quarter of the market, while other sports shoes account for the rest. Could YOUR business benefit from the passion for physical activity in Europe's largest market? We can help you find out - at no cost because we're a government agency. Let's run through some ideas: www.gtai.com

🔢 🔢 🔢 Friday Figure!🔢 🔢 🔢 The times they are a changin' in the German #business world. That's the conclusion of a Handelsblatt Research Institute study of attitudes among more than 500 commercial leaders in the country. 💡 In contrast to the cliché of German conservatism, the study found that the "desire for transformation" is running high in business in Germany. more than half of those asked said they approve of the government supporting new industries and technologies. 💪 Could #Germany be the right place for YOUR innovative company? We can help you explore the possibilities - at no cost becasue we're a government agency. Let's hook up: www.gtai.com

Germany is planning nationwide fusion power hubs. Centers for #fusion technology will be established from one end of the country to the other. German Minister of Research, Technology and Space Dorothee Bär, (Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt) has officially announced the locations of the coming “Hubs for Fusion” as part of the country’s efforts to build the world’s first fusion power generation plant – something Bär called “a very promising goal.” The plans include the following: ⚛️ A hub based in Bavaria to focus on magnet-fusion technology with tritium as a fuel. It will be directed by the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) and the start-up Proxima Fusion. Another company, Gauss Fusion is also involved. The project encompasses two research reactors in Garching in the south and Greifswald in the northeast. ⚛️ A hub focusing on laser fusion in Biblis in western Germany and Hamburg and the regional state of Schleswig-Holstein in the north. It will be directed by the company Focused Energy and will involve the firm Marvel Fusion and the European collaborative project European XFEL. ⚛️ A hub at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) Institute of Technology in southwestern Germany concentrating on fuel and materials research. Bavaria has already pledged to invest EUR 400 million in fusion technologies, and further billion-strong investments, public and private, are anticipated for the years to come. 

Germany is a great place to do business...but don't just take our word for it. Here's what fDi Intelligence says in its 2026 Germany Report: "The stage is now set for the next phase of growth in Europe’s largest economy... Companies from across the globe continue to commit to Germany for growth beyond its traditionally strong manufacturing sector. FDI is now proliferating in strategic areas in Germany from renewable energy to data centres, semiconductors, biopharmaceuticals and defence." In the report, Alex Irwin-Hunt breaks down the opportunities available in all 16 regional states that make up the Federal Republic of Germany. Definitely worth a read ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/dVzh9iR7

BEVs are becoming norm for German commercial #fleets. More purely #electricvehicles were registered for fleets in #Germany in the first half of 2026 than any other type of cars. That's according to market researcher Dataforce GmbH for the Initiative Klimaneutrales Deutschland (IKND)(Initiative for a Climate-Neutral Germany). ⚡ 30 percent of new registrations for commercial fleets, excluding car rental companies, were purely electric, eclipsing all other vehicle types. That’s a first in Germany. 🪫 94 percent of companies with fleets of over 50 vehicles already use at least one BEV. 74 percent of companies with at least one BEV say that reduced costs is a factor driving their decisions. The IKND predicts that by 2035, half of Germany’s commercial fleets could be completely free of CO2 emissions. 🚗 BEVs produced in Germany currently make up 73 percent of those vehicles in commercial fleets. “German companies are rapidly accelerating the electrification of their fleets – primarily because it makes good business sense,” said Dataforce Senior Specialist Michael Gergen in a statement. “At the same time, it is becoming clear that the German automotive industry is also benefiting from this trend."