The German electronics industry: Between a weakened economy and new digital business models

The German electronics industry continued to grow in 2018, but at a lower rate than in the previous year. Nevertheless, the industry achieved record highs in sales and in exports. Companies in the industry also hired more staff. But against the backdrop of increasing economic risks, growth in the industry this year is likely to be more moderate than in recent times. According to Andreas Gontermann and Jochen Schäfer (ZVEI), however, the industry should benefit considerably from the ongoing digitalization of the economy in the longer term. The use of 5G in industry and the application of artificial intelligence will result in further innovations and new business models.