Parlamentarischer Abend 2025

About us

The Federation of German Industries (BDI)

We are working to ensure that Germany remains an industrialized country, one that is export-oriented and innovative. This can only be achieved on the basis of the social market economy built on the market, entrepreneurship, competition, trade and private property.

Germany's economy is based on a strong industrial core. Its success hinges on deep-rooted industrial value chains with more than 100,000 large, medium-sized and small companies from all sectors of the manufacturing industry, which together employ more than eight million people.

Industrialized Country

The challenges for Germany to remain an industrialized country are enormous - nothing less than our competitiveness is at stake. Competitive advantages must be constantly regained on the markets, and competitive disadvantages must also be constantly reduced - an ongoing task for politics and business. In the future, we seek to be a climate-neutral industrialized country that makes better use of the opportunities offered by digitization and expedites approval and planning processes to allow our entrepreneurs more security in their decision-making.

Export-Oriented Country

We need modern, sustainable free trade that serves people in our country as well as in all other parts of the world. As Europe's largest trading nation, we must lead the way while a sovereign Europe seeks responsible trade and investment agreements committed to sustainability, which bring us closer to the goal of a level playing field.

Innovative Country

Our innovative capacity secures our outstanding position in international competition. Here, our focus is on opportunities, not risks. In Germany, a land of innovation, 70 percent of innovative output is generated within companies. To keep it that way, companies need freedom and the right framework: that is, in addition to Industry 4.0, an Administration 4.0 that works efficiently and digitally.

Germany as an industrial location must become a place of the future,

  • that creates planning and investment security for companies and citizens;
  • that offers research and innovation the necessary freedom;
  • that solves the challenges of climate change through technological ingenuity;
  • that uses digitization as an opportunity for value creation and prosperity;
  • and that strengthens Europe's sovereignty and competitiveness in a global world.
Tanja Gönner: A Profile of the New BDI Chief Executive Officer

With ten years of experience in development cooperation at GIZ, and previously serving as Minister of Social Affairs, the Environment, and Transportation in Baden-Württemberg and as a member of the Bundestag, Tanja Gönner has delved deeply into many issues throughout her career. We asked her: What are her plans as CEO of the BDI? How important is social dialogue to her in her new role as a business lobbyist? And: Does it matter that she is the first woman to lead the BDI?

Our mission Statement

Industry plays an outstanding role in Germany's prosperity. Just under a quarter of Germany's gross domestic product (GDP) is generated by German industry. If industry-related services are included, this goes up to around one-third of GDP. Germany is and remains an industrialized country. Together with industry-related services, industry forms the growth core of our economy.

Our committee work

Only those who are expert in their fields can credibly formulate concerns and convey them to the policy-makers and to the general public. That is why the BDI is supported in its work by the expertise of numerous committees, working groups and working parties.