Baden-Württemberg’s location in the centre of Europe offers a significant advantage in that it guarantees access to many important markets. Information and telecommunications companies in Baden- Württemberg develop and produce technologically high-quality products, making them leading players in Germany and Europe. Their IT and telecommunications products enjoy high national and international demand and are used throughout the world.

Information and telecommunication technologies in Germany

• The information and telecommunications sector is one of the largest industrial sectors in Germany, alongside vehicle manufacture, mechanical engineering and electronics/electrical engineering, and has experienced stronger growth over the past few years than the economy overall.

• With a turnover of over 170 billion Euros, the German IT and telecommunications sector accounts for around 6% of the market worldwide. Germany is therefore the third largest national market worldwide after the USA and Japan, and the most important market for IT and telecommunications within Europe.

• Approximately 62,000 IT and telecom companies employ more than 800,000 people. In addition there are around 650,000 IT/telecoms specialists working in the applications sectors.

• The IT/telecoms sector is one of the most highly innovative sectors and makes an above-average contribution to overall economic growth in Germany.

• As interface technolgies, IT/telecoms technologies initiate and make many product and process innovations in other sectors possible, such as in mechanical engineering and plant construction.