7 reasons why Germanys ICT

industry is a smart investment

2013-07-11, by Diana

Its a good time to work in IT and software in Germany. Why? In line with
opening the newIntetics office in Dsseldorf , here is a list of top 7 reasons
for why its a great time to invest in the German ICT and software
industries.
What else would you add?1
1. Excellent economy and positive business environment
Germany has a growing economy that provides a positive business
environment. As Europes largest market, it contains the best quality
infrastructure in Europe, 3% GDP growth and an expanding economy. It
boasts a highly productive workforce, with 80% of German labor force
possessing vocational or higher degree training. In addition, the German
economy provides an excellent background for IT and software
development industries. The ICT & Software industry account for 3.8% of
the national GDP and receive 18% of the countrys FDI (about 513 billion
euro in 2011). With all these indicators, the German market ranks as the
4th largest IT market in the world.
2. Abundance of Innovation and industry-leading companies
Not only does Germany have a dynamic market, but it also manages to
attract international companies and inspire innovation. There are about
55,000 foreign companies that operate in Germany. The foreign
companies are mostly from US, but 57% come from Eastern Europe.
Germany is also Europes innovation leader with over 13,000 patent
registrations annually, it ranks 8th out of 139 countries for innovation
(according to Worlds Economic Forum). It is also the home of the most
research-intensive and most high-tech industries, followed by Japan, rest
of EU and the US. Rest assured that amidst all of this innovation, the ICT &
Software industry is not left behind. Germany established 34 ICT & IT
Technology parks and centers that help transfer technology knowledge
and information. Four of these IT tech parks are (coincidentally?) only an
hour drive from the new Intetics office in Dsseldorf.
3. Shortage of skilled workers, especially in software
development

War on talent or Tech-Talent Shortagewhatever you call it, according to

a recent LinkedIn & Bitkom study, about half of German companies are
facing labor shortage. Yet to keep up with innovations Germany needs a
lot of talent. The average global labor shortage rate is about 35%, and
Germany has been fluctuating between labor shortages of 35%-42% for
the past 3 years. Adding to the problem is the fact that IT positions are
globally 7th most difficult jobs to fill, due to shortage of qualified
candidates. This is bad news for Germany as the 4th largest IT market,
because demand for engineers and other IT and software will remain high.
So high, in fact, that the LinkedIn & Bitkom study claimed that 75% of
large companies (over 500 people) complain of labor shortages, and as a
result look for IT and software talent elsewhere, hiring qualified specialists
abroad. Good thing that it is easy to find qualified experts elsewhere in
Europe especially in Eastern European countries.
4. Mobile and internet technologies are constantly expanding
The most obvious reason why the demand for IT professionals is unlikely
to diminish any time soon is the growing demand for mobile and internet
technologies. Germany is no exception. Sixty percent of its population
claim to have internet enabled phones and 40% have smart phones. The
German centralized service provider, Die Bundesnetsagentur, says that it
manages over 113.5mill subscriptions (for a population of 80.5 million)
equivalent to 141% of population. With that many people on the web,
Internet technologies will remain in high demand in the near future.
5. Center of European business, exhibitions and fairs
Just as Germany is at the center of innovation, it is also the center for
trade shows and international conferences. About two thirds of the worlds
leading trade fairs take place in Germany. About 150 major international
events are held each year, attracting over 170,000 exhibitors and 9-10
million visitors. Every major city has its own conference center. The Messe
Dsseldorf claims it is at the Basis for Business and it is indeed one of
the leading export platforms in the world. The Dsseldorf conference
center welcomes about 50 trade shows annually and other independently
organized events, from which 23 are globally recognized trade shows.
6. People speak Germanand Englishand Russian and French
Like many other European countries, German children learn to speak a
foreign language at the young age of 8 or 9 years. This creates an
excellent environment for business and communication. Usually, German

children learn English as their second language, but many additionally

learn French, Latin, Russian, Spanish, Dutch and Polish, among others. In a
2006 survey 25% German respondents claimed to speak another
language.
7. You are in the middle of everything
From any point in Germany, the rest of Europe is reachable within 3 hours
by air or 24 hours by road. Half of the European population lives within
500 km of Germanys borders. You are literally in the middle of everything:
in the middle of innovation, in the middle of Europe, and in the middle of
one of the most bustling economies in the world.
Have another reason? Leave a comment below!
Photo courtesy of Pittoresk via stock.xchng

If you work in IT, youre probably feeling pretty smug right now. As
everyone knows, the jobs market for IT professionals is looking pretty
good. Recruiters trawl LinkedIn and XING searching for good
candidates to fill a growing number of empty positions.
With the wealth of opportunities available, it can be hard to see the
wood for the trees. To break things down a little, we looked at current
Jobspotting numbers to find out which German cities are the best for
IT jobs.

1.

Munich

Though you might expect to see the German capital at the top of the
list, in this case its actually the Bavarian one. Latest Jobspotting
figures show that with nearly 1,200 vacancies, Munich has the most
opportunities to offer IT job seekers. And its not just winning by sheer
quantity of openings. As Munich is one of the most important
industrial centres in the Federal Republic, it offers the widest range of
industries, requiring people at all career levels. Experienced IT
professionals will find the best prospects however, with over 900
senior positions on offer, with companies like BMW Group, Payback
GmbH and Accenture always hunting for great candidates. If youre
still not sold on Munich, just wait. According to information from
Robert Half, you can expect to earn 4-5% more than in other German
cities.

2.

Stuttgart

Were staying in the south, for now. After Munich, Stuttgart offers the
highest numbers of opportunities for IT professionals. Perhaps this
isnt all that surprising, given that the regions known
for its mechanical engineering, automotive and electrical equipment
industries. Currently on Jobspotting, Daimler AG alone has over 200
vacancies up for grabs, followed closely by Robert Bosch GmbH.
Stuttgart also offers a large number of (well-paid!) internships for
students and young professionals. Potentially, Stuttgart is the best
German city to start that promising IT career!

3.

Frankfurt

Yet another city outdoes the capital when it comes to IT jobs: the
German financial centre of Frankfurt. Financial IT professionals can
take their pick of institutions like Deutsche Brse, ING DiBa or
Deutsche Bank. As Frankfurt is also a central transport hub and one of
the major industrial sites in Gemrany, the largest employers of IT pros
include Deutsche Bahn, Lufthansa and Fraport. Much like Stuttgart,
Frankfurt also offers lots of interesting opportunities for young
professionals. About 20% of the vacancies are junior positions or
internships.

4.

Berlin

At last, here comes Silicon Allee. Unlike other German cities,

the stadt on the Spree isnt home to many traditional industries or
large corporations. Its main claim to IT fame is in housing a lively
creative, digital scene. From nearly 400 companies on Jobspotting
that offer IT jobs in Berlin, there are over 60 startups so those who
crave a lot of personal responsibility and flexibility should search in
Berlin. That said, this might be best for people at the beginning of
their careers, as young companies cant offer the highest salaries. You
will however, have the opportunity to significantly shape the early
growth of the company, and the future of its products.

5.

Hamburg

Last but not least, IT pros should check out Hamburg. The charming
city on the Elbe will make you feel like its love at first sight. It offers
more than 600 jobs currently, in areas such as media technology, SAP
or software development, across a variety of industries such as
logistics and transport, games development or consulting and digital
economy. Job seekers of all levels that hunger for variety should start
their job search in this northern German city.
Try out Jobspotting and discover the best German IT jobs.
Photo Munich: Heribert Pohl. CC BY-SA 2.0 | Photo
Stuttgart:Isengardt. CC BY 2.0 | Photo Frankfurt: Skyline Frankfurt
Flerbrcke by Nicolas17. CC BY-SA 3.0 | Photo Berlin:Jrg
Schubert. CC BY 2.0 | Photo Hamburg: Tobias Franz. CC BY 2.0.