GERMANY 1 / 20 Sierra Nevada is reviving production of the Dornier 328 short-haul passenger aircraft in Germany. HEAVY IN LIGHTWEIGHT Germany is a world leader in Leichtbau, or lightweight construction. And that is generating opportunities and innovation in engineering, materials technology, design and services. page 4 Chemical Industry: Travel & Tourism: Music Tech: The German chemicals Germany’s travel sector Music technology is sector is putting is the biggest and most thriving in Germany and billions into R&D competitive in Europe looking for seed investors page 14 page 16 page 20 Photo: Illing & Vossbeck Fotografie Illing & Vossbeck Photo: FOCUS Going Heavy in »The need to trans­ Lightweight port people and things How lightweight technologies are changing the fabric of engineering, sustainably is perhaps manufacturing and construction the most pressing issue page 4 of our times.« TRANSPORT All Aboard Dear Reader, In Brief: Stem cell innovation and improving the Deutsche Bahn’s modernization drive is performance of e­cars and websites ...... page 12 opening up Germany’s railway industry. page 18 We live in fast-moving times, and this issue of Markets Germany is all about motion. The need to transport people and things sustainably is CHEMICALS MORE ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE: perhaps the most pressing issue of the age. Here, German lightweight engineering will play a vi- A Certain Musical Genius: Is Germany’s music tal role. Making things lighter means we expend technology sector undervalued? ........... page 20 fewer resources moving them, and German en- From Guangdong to Germany: A Chinese med­ gineers are working on everything from light- tech firm is opening a German plant. ..... page 22 weight carbon-fiber air taxis to cardboard auto- Your Nexxt Partner: A new platform introduc­ motive parts to this end. es investors to partners in Germany. ....... page 23 Travel and tourism represent another form Removing Barriers: Sweeping new legislation of mobility. After all, Germany is Europe’s largest aims to help investors. ........................ page 24 market for travel at source – worth almost EUR Celebrating Entrepreneurial Spirit: 60 billion in 2017. But there’s still lots of room for Chemical Attraction The German Entrepreneur Award recognizes growth, as the online share of bookings increas- up­and­comers. ................................ page 26 es and the demand for instant trip planning Germany excels at producing basic Vive la France!: GTAI’s Paris office sees a new expands. One new company trying to meet this chemicals efficiently, which is why the demand is Omio, which was founded in 2013 in sector is so profitable. But it still has a dynamic in French–German cooperation. page 28 few new tricks up its sleeve. What’s ’Small Talk’ in German? A U.S. consul Berlin as GoEuro by Indian entrepreneur Naren page 14 general in Düsseldorf shares her experiences. page 30 Shaam. It’s recently become one of Germany’s tech unicorns. ____ The Digital Magazine Finally, there are movements in the musical Travel Tech’s New Frontier: Germany is the Online at: sense. Germany is famous for its music technol- largest source market for travel in Europe. ... page 16 www.marketsgermany.com ogy – everything from traditional instruments to digital innovations, including the MP3. Ger- Publisher: Germany Trade & Invest Gesellschaft für Distribution: Markets Germany is distributed solely man audio software is used on nearly every Hol- Außenwirtschaft und Standortmarketing mbH, Fried- by the publisher all over the world. lywood soundtrack, while musicians the world richstraße 60, 10117 Berlin, T. +49 30 200 099-0, Notes: © Germany Trade & Invest, February 2020 over plug into state-of-the-art German amplifi- F. +49 30 200 099-111, [email protected], www.gtai.com All information provided by Germany Trade & Invest Excecutive Board: Dr. Jürgen Friedrich, Chairman/CEO; has been gathered with the utmost care. We assume ers. So put on your favorite CD, or stream, and Dr. Robert Hermann, CEO no liability, however, for the accuracy of the informa- sit back and enjoy this mobile issue of Markets Director Corporate Communications: tion provided. Articles published under specific names Germany. Andreas Bilfinger do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher. Managing and Content Editor: Eva Forinyak No reprints may be made without the prior consent Consultant Editor: Jefferson Chase of the publisher. Unless specified otherwise, the copy- right for pictures is held by Germany Trade & Invest. Editorial Team Kammann Rossi/wortwert: Imogen Dr. Robert Hermann, CEO Order number: O’Rorke, David Batty, Christoph Hus, Jürgen Jehle 21170 Email: [email protected] Cover: Design and Layout: Arne Büdts, Verena Matl, ­­ © 328SSG Jens Tappe Print: Kern GmbH, 66450 Bexbach, www.kerndruck.de Circulation: 5,000 Photo: Freshworks/PR/Maisberger.com Photo: Girish Mathrubootham, CEO of Freshworks “I’m the kind of person who learns by do- many futile hours trying to claim insurance, Quick facts ing,” says Girish Mathrubootham, CEO of he started sharing his experience in a forum Freshworks, which provides a broad range (“I wanted justice or revenge!”). Within a day, Name Girish Mathrubootham of simple-to-use business software. When he he had an apology from the company’s presi- Age 44 first launched Freshdesk in Chennai, India in dent. Something clicked: “I saw that the pow- Nationality Indian 2011, he acquired six international customers er had shifted to the user. I decided to build Company name within a fortnight. “They found us! We were a fresh helpdesk product.” Unlike most U.S. Freshworks Founded tapping into existing demand,” he beams. companies, Freshworks is as big in Europe as 2010 Based in USA Eight years on, the tech unicorn he cofound- it is in the States. In 2016, it set up its Europe- Industry Software as a Service ed is worth USD 1.5 billion. an HQ in Berlin to go “deeper and wider” in Value EUR 1.35 billion Mathrubootham set up his first venture, a the region. He chose Berlin “because of the Java training company, in 1999, and went on talent pool” and the “relatively low costs.” to build helpdesk systems and work as VP of Mathrubootham is mainly based in the U.S., product development for Zoho. The idea for a but he is constantly traveling. “It’s fantastic new venture came when he was shipping his to see how the company changes every six belongings from Texas back to India, and his months – it’s like a baby growing up, or a www.freshworks.com expensive LCD TV got broken in transit. After beast that you can’t understand,” he says. 4 MARKETS GERMANY | Focus Engineers work on the Lilium jet. The flying taxi’s lightweight carbon fiber hull is essential for achieving electric­powered vertical takeoffs and landings. Where there are moving parts or mass needs to be transport­ ed, the rule is: the lighter the better. Photo: Lilium Photo: MARKETS GERMANY | Focus 5 Going Heavy in Lightweight Germany’s expertise in lightweight engineering, design and services is generating exciting new opportunities and inno- vations in manufacturing, construction and other industries. he Lilium jet is ready and request- across a range of industries, from aerospace ing takeoff. A man standing in a field to construction to robotics. Anywhere effi- T in southern Bavaria gets the “OK” ciency can be improved by reducing overall on his radio and fires up the electric engines. mass, you will find lightweight tech making The sleek aircraft’s wings are fitted out with an impact. 36 small ducted fans and 12 flaps that allow for vertical takeoff and landing – just like a helicopter but without the dangerous blades. The flying taxi achieves a velocity of 100kmh »I think we’re before landing safely. The successful test flight in October 2019 approaching a was a momentous achievement for Lilium. Founded in 2015 near Munich, the start-up renaissance in aims to offer aeromobility for all by creat- the lightweight ing a network of air taxi hubs. Its five-seater air taxis, designed to fly autonomously, are industries.« made possible thanks to lightweight tech- nologies. Dr. Rainer Müller, senior manager of lightweight Germany has become a heavyweight technologies at GTAI when it comes to lightweight technologies. Leichtbau, as it’s known in German, is an innovative branch that includes engineer- Lightweighting can trigger a butterfly effect ing, materials technology, design and ser- through all levels of the supply chain. If you vices. The principles of lightweight tech- make the moving parts in a machine light- nologies can provide substantial benefits er, the engines and gears can also be made 6 MARKETS GERMANY | Focus Werner Loscheider »The Light­ weighting Initiative serves as a central contact point.« Werner Loscheider is the head of the di- vision that looks after construction, light- weight construction/new materials, and resource efficiency at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi). How did the Lightweighting Initiative come about? The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy supports a cross-technology and efficient transfer of expertise between smaller, which saves energy during opera- the various lightweighting stakeholders swing. Lilium aims to have its flying taxi in Germany. The Lightweighting Initiative tion and money for the operator. Lilium’s hubs operational by 2025. serves as a central contact point for Ger- lightweight carbon fiber hull is essential for man businesses. As the head of the division The strong supply chain was also a reason achieving electric-powered vertical takeoffs “Construction Industry, Lightweight Con- for U.S. aerospace giant Sierra Nevada Corpo- and landings. But it also obeys the general struction/New Materials, Resource Efficien- ration to select Germany as the location for rule: the lighter the better. cy,” I’m responsible for the Lightweighting renewing production of the Dornier 328 pas- Initiative.