German industry invests more in research

Berlin German industry’s spending on research and development (R&D) has risen significantly again after companies have been reluctant for a long time: R&D investments increased by almost six percent in 2021 to a total of a good 75 billion euros. This is shown by preliminary data from the Stifterverband, which is exclusively available to the Handelsblatt. However, the plus just compensates for the sharp slump during the first Corona year 2020.

And in international innovation competition, Germany could fall further behind despite the increase in research and development spending by companies last year. Because in 2020, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), almost all other industrialized nations had increased these investments, which are central to the innovative power of the economy – only in Germany and Italy did they collapse.