INTO GERMANY! The German Business Podcast
INTO GERMANY is a monthly English-language business podcast from Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI), the official economic development agency of the Federal Republic of Germany. Each episode takes an in-depth look at one of the hottest sectors in Europe's largest economy, featuring on-the-ground success stories and practical insights for international companies. The show explores how Germany works as a business location and offers tips for expanding into the heart of the EU. It is aimed at international businesspeople already active in Germany or considering market entry.
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Robotics: Germany's Intelligent Machines Revolution
Robotics has long been a cornerstone of German industry, and now a new generation of intelligent machines is emerging. Whereas earlier robots were largely designed for repetitive, predefined tasks, advances in artificial intelligence are enabling robots to navigate complex environments, learn new tasks and increasingly work alongside people.
For companies, the shift opens up new possibilities for
Germany’s New Business Strategy: Martin Blessing on Industry, Innovation and Growth
How can Germany remain an attractive destination for international business expansions? Martin Blessing, Chancellor Friedrich Merz’ point man on investments and foreign business expansions explains how the country is positioning itself in a changing global economy, and why Germany is still central for companies looking to scale up in Europe.
Germany is adapting its investment strategy in response
From Assistance to Action: The Rise of Agentic AI
Artificial intelligence has changed the way companies work, and now a new phase is emerging. Whereas earlier systems could only respond to prompts, Agentic AI is designed to handle entire workflows.
For companies, the shift is profound, as it promises greater efficiency, faster decision-making and entirely new ways of structuring work. At the same time, it raises important questions around control
Aiming High – Germany Joins the New Space Race
Germany’s space sector is booming, as commercial players increasingly shape what was once a purely state-driven domain. From satellite manufacturing and Earth observation to reusable spacecraft and green propulsion systems, German-based companies are helping make space more accessible, sustainable and economically viable. Supported by strong public-private partnerships, generous funding schemes an
Replotting the Course: Full Steam Ahead for German Business
2025 was a year of course alignment for the German economy. Conservative Friedrich Merz became Germany’s chancellor after snap elections, and his new coalition government immediately signaled that investment, reform and pro-business policies would be its priorities. We review pivotal economic and business developments of 2025 – from government measures supporting industry and startups to internati
Scaling New Heights – Germany’s Start-Up Comeback
Germany’s start-up sector is regaining momentum – thanks to a dynamic ecosystem shaped by entrepreneurial spirit, government support and strong industry clusters, ranging from Berlin’s vibrant tech scene to regional hubs throughout the country. Initiatives such as the de:hub network are connecting founders with established players, while new legislation aims to make investment easier and reduce bu
From Prospect to Powerhouse - Offshore Wind in Germany
Offshore wind currently produces around 6% of all electricity fed into Germany's public grid, but by 2045, that figure will need to be quadrupled. It’s a heady but achievable challenge. What started out 15 years ago as a couple of experimental facilities is now a major pillar of Germany’s conversion to renewable energy. We look back and ahead at the biggest changes, challenges, and innovations – a
A Fresh Start? New German Government, New Business Opportunities
On April 6, 2025, conservative Friedrich Merz was sworn in as Germany’s tenth chancellor. He leads a coalition of his center-right CDU_CSU alliance with the center-left SPD, two rivals united by a 144-page coalition agreement. Its top focus? Business, growth and competitiveness. What opportunities does this political shift offer for international companies looking to invest or expand in Germany? W
Defying Death Valleys: Germany Promotes Disruptive Innovations
The foremost challenge for entrepreneurs and start-ups with potentially game-changing ideas is getting financial support for ideas and business concepts that, by definition, are completely untried. Germany recognizes the dilemma and has set up a government agency, called SPRIND (www.sprind.org), to assist the most audacious of innovations. We talk to SPRIND’s innovation manager and an agency-suppo
Charging Forward: E-Trucks and Germany’s Road to Sustainable Transport
Germany has long been an innovator in truck manufacturing and is leading the way on the next generation of electric drive solutions. Though still in its early stage, logistics is shifting gears, and registration figures for electric trucks in Germany are twice as high as the EU average. From 2021 to 2023, the number of e-powered vehicles on German roads almost doubled. But what still needs to chan
(Re-)Searching for New Ideas – Germany’s Unique R&D Landscape
R&D in Germany has a long tradition. Its prestigious research institutes are known across the world. And no other European country invests more money in research and development – around 130 billion euros across all sectors in the last year for which figures are available. But part of Germany’s strength is its relatively decentralized, bottom-up orientation. A leader from Germany’s Ministry of Edu
Top German Business Stories of 2024 – A Year in Review
GDP may have stagnated, foreign direct investment continued apace in Europe’s largest economy. 2024 was a banner year for German pharma and artificial intelligence. The world’s largest IT companies invested heavily in data centers, and the government further relaxed entry regulations for international professionals with sought-after skills and launched massive infrastructure projects to provide th
Finally Fintech – How Germany Caught On to Digital Finance
Germans may have taken a while to get used to cashless payment systems and other fintech applications, but they’re now rapidly becoming standard in both B2B and B2C. Where are the greatest opportunities and what does the future ho0ld in store? We speak to the head of Berlin’s new fintech hub and the strategy guru at a French neobank that has branched out to Germany.
Our guests:
Sebastian Schäfer
Food for the Future – The Growing German Vegan, Vegetarian and Meatless Sector
The German vegan and vegetarian movement goes back to the nineteenth century, but this lifestyle and nutrition choice has never been so popular. More than a third of Germans opt for a plant-based diet. The German plant-based retail market has been valued at around €1.9 billion, making it the biggest in Europe. We talk to two up-and-coming companies and the head of a leading pro-meatless advocacy g
Self-Driving Solutions – Autonomous Mobility and German Automotive
Germany remains a pioneer when it comes to self-driving cars. Europe’s automotive heartland is the first country in the world to pass nationwide regulations for level-4 autonomous vehicles. International businesses that expand to Germany will find top-class research facilities, a well-trained and innovative workforce and an open-minded car culture!
Our guests:
Yang Ji is founder and CEO of Liang
Germany’s Hydrogen Highway – A new grid for the transition to clean energy
Green hydrogen is a key part of Germany’s drive to decarbonize industry and transition to clean energy. To that end, the country is establishing a core network, spanning 10,000 kilometers all across Europe’s largest economy. What are challenges faced by the new distribution grid? How many of the old natural-gas pipelines can be repurposed? How much new construction is needed. Germany’s biggest gas
Making Renewables Circular – Recycling green energy hardware in Germany
Germany is setting record upon record for renewable electricity, but the hardware used to generate that energy is not built for the ages. What to do with all the outdated and decommissioned equipment? We talk to an innovative French company that’s brought its solutions to Germany and to a German industry association that aims to convert the wind energy sector into a circular economy.
Our Guest
Creature Comforts – Germany’s red-hot house pet market
Food, accessories, services, tech gadgets - the house pet market is huge and diverse. The number of pets in Germany has been growing for years, and so has the amount Germans are willing spend on the welfare of their animal loved ones. And the outlook for the future is top dog! So what are the particulars of Germans’ relationships with their pets? We talk to a Swedish pet insurance company that has
Eastern Germany’s “Third Wave” of Business Investments
Intel, TSMC and Tesla are just three of the commercial giants that are increasing their business by expanding to the eastern part of Germany. Unlike former spurts of investment in the regions that used to be Communist East Germany, growth this time around seems more organic and likely to last. Indeed, it’s no exaggeration to say that the economic map of Germany is being redrawn. We speak to an exp
Green Grids, Good Business?
The costs of converting Germany's power supply infrastructure to renewably generated electricity is enormous. Some skeptics fear the high cost of the transition will frighten off international companies. But there is also a case that with increasing numbers of firms committed to carbon-neutral production, Germany's green energy grids will soon a powerful argument for them to do business there.
A Shot in the Arm: Pharma Benefits from a New German Legal
In late 2023, American pharma giant Eli Lilly and Company announced plans to build a $2.5 billion production facility in western Germany. It’s one of the largest investments in the sector ever. The plant will at first produce its new tirzepatide drugs for diabetes and obesity. Demand is expected to soar. The major expansion comes as Berlin is reforming the rules governing German pharma, with a key
Cautious Optimism and Wild Cards: What FDI Says About the German Economy
Germany’s GDP growth has slowed recently, and the number of FDI projects are slightly lower, but the country’s long-term stability and even its transition to sustainable industry are still attracting big projects in critical sectors as pharma, microchips and battery production. Eli Lilly and Company, Intel and Northvolt are just some of companies pushing ahead with gigantic endeavors in Germany. B
How Germany Works Out
As Germany’s median age rises, new opportunities are opening the med-tech sector, for instance in the area of physiotherapy. At the same time, “silver agers” determined to remain active and fit in their later years is configuring the market for fitness clubs and service. There’s plenty of room in industry for international players.
Our Guests:
Davide Ferrario and Marco Sauer are with Movendo Tec
The Surge in Energy Storage
Germany is aiming to become climate-neutral by 2045 – to help combat climate change but also to become more resilient in its energy supply. Russia’s war oin Ukraine highlighted an aspect of energy provision most people had previously ignored: storage. As renewables take over an increasing share of the powermix in Germany, opportunites are being created everywhere for innovated solutions in the ene
What Makes a Smart City Smart
Is "smart city" just another buzzword? Or a useful way of thinking about how to make urban life more livable, sustainable, diverse, healthy and equitable? We speak to the head of one of the largest property development and urbal planning projects in Europe, HafenCity Hamburg. And we get an assessment from two smart-cities experts on the challenges and opportunities of the metropoles of the future.
Slaying the Digital Dragons
The threat of cybercrime is at an all-time high. That’s due to a variety of factors including companies’ increasing digitization, vast amounts of work now being done in home office and the war in Ukraine. That’s created huge demand in Europe’s largest market, Germany. We talk to an expert and a business executive about the current state of cybersecurity and what opportunities are opening up for in
The Race to Net Zero
The stakes could not be higher. Germany aspires to lead the way in achieving carbon emissions neutrality. To that, it’s going to need lots and lots of regenerative energy, including solar power. The country already experienced a solar boom around the turn of millennium, but it didn’t last. Now, the sun is back at the center of Germany’s transition to clean energy and its new energy economy. Can so
BioNTech and Beyond
After the success of previously unknown biopharma company BioNTech in combatting Covid, Germany is back in the spotlight as “the world’s pharmacy.” But what comes next for the sector? And how can international health-sector companies profit? We talk to the world’s oldest pharmaceutical company Merck, a serial entrepreneur and a biotech journalist about personal medication, international partnershi
Gaming in Germany
Think Germany, and you probably don’t think fun and games. But you should. Where else is gaming a special part of the Economics Ministry? Germans are absolutely fanatics for games and represent Europe’s biggest electronic gaming market, with some 49 million active players. To get the latest on this dynamic sector, we talk to one of Europe’s leading games developers and the head of the German Assoc
Logistics Reloaded
You can have the best product in the world, but when it doesn’t reach your costumers, you can’t sell it. Thanks to its geographical location and other factors, Germany is the heart of European transport and shipping – and one of the world’s largest logistics markets. But geopolitical concerns and the need for sustainability, is forcing a reload in logistics. We talk to the head of digitalization a
Battery Recycling - the Next Big Thing
Cars, e-bikes, smartphones…the future will run on batteries. They're a crucial component of Germany’s transition to clean energy, but they can only have their desired effect if they’re recycled. We take a closer look at the battery recycling industry in Europe’s largest economy and automotive heartland. Is this thenext big thing in the German economy?
Our guests
Chris Reed has over 30 years’
Artificial Intelligence
Who needs science fiction when present reality is so spectaculat? That’s the question posed by artificial intelligence. AI has been in the new a lot lately thanks to ChatGPT, so we thought it would be good to look at what’s going in the area in Europe’s largest economy. Is there a German version of the famous chatbot? In what areas does AI have the greatest promise? Can international companies in
Making Energy Efficiency More Efficient
Russia’s war against the Ukraine underscored the need for Germany to get more from less energy – something that was already a priority in the global fight against climate change. But how can energy efficiency be increased most efficiently? What opportunities do international companies have to be active in the field in Germany? And why are heat pumps currently flying off shelvesin Europe’s biggest
New hopes on chips
Starting in the 1990s, chip production migrated to low-wage countries in Asia. Does Europe have any chance of enticing it back? It has! In this episode we’ll talk to the woman leading Intel’s big expansion in Germany. And get insights from the managing director of something called Silicon Saxony.
Christin Eisenschmid
She is Managing Director, Vice President and General Manager of Intel Germany a
Putting the E in German Mobility
In this episode, we examine how the German automotive sector is gearing up for the transition to electric mobility. We talk to Matthias Zentgraf, who convinced the biggest battery supplier of the world to come to Germany. Automotive business guru Stefan Di Bitonto discusses the opportunities of the German market. And renowned chemist Prof. Martin Winter tells us how batteries will see higher energ
Trailer - INTO GERMANY! The German business podcast
INTO GERMANY is the German business podcast in the English language. Every month we take a fast-paced but in-depth look at one of the hottest sectors and round up some of the most intriguing stories from Europe’s largest economy.
Whether you’re an international businessperson already into Germany or just curious about EXPANDING your company to the heart of the EU, we’ve got lots of on-the-ground
