Automotive and auto parts industry.
Germany is a powerful automobile manufacturing country in the world. Mercedes-Benz and BMW are known to all ages, and Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche are well-known. German high-end automobiles account for more than 70% of the global market. Speaking of German cars, the first thing people think of is safety, comfort, energy saving, environmental protection, beauty and durability. In 2013, the sales volume of the German automobile manufacturing industry was 361.7 billion euros, of which foreign sales were 234.6 billion euros; the production volume was 14.08 million cars and 270,000 commercial vehicles.
The reason why the German automobile industry can lead other industries with many advantages, maintain its status as Germany's first industry for a long time, and show its superior strength and strong development momentum is that its development characteristics deserve attention. First of all, German automobile manufacturers attach great importance to research and development and continuously improve their core competitiveness. 28% of R&D personnel in the German industrial sector are engaged in automotive R&D, and one-ninth of the employees in the automotive industry work in the R&D department.
The German automobile industry generates an average of ten patents every day, and obtains 3,650 patents every year, making it a veritable world champion. All these ensure the German automobile industry's global technological leadership and highlight the core position of the German automobile industry in the German economy.