German Industry – Cornerstone of the Economy
Of all industrialized countries, Germany has the largest industrial sector. From motor vehicles to sugar, in German industry world-renowned large-scale enterprises operate alongside many small and medium-sized businesses. Industry is crucial both to the German economy’s performance and its international competitiveness. The hallmark of a modern, pluralistic society is its multiplicity of aims and interests. Anyone intent on effectively advancing his ideas, aims and interests must, therefore, join together with others to form interest groups. Enterprises in Germany do this via various associations.
The BDI – The Umbrella Organization of German Industry
The Federation of German Industries (BDI) is an association of associations. As stipulated in the BDI’s statutes, membership is confined to “industrial sector associations and working groups acting as umbrella organizations to represent entire industrial groups within the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany”.
The BDI’s legal status is that of a registered society. The BDI is the umbrella organization for industrial businesses and industry-related service-providers. As the representative of the interests of industry the BDI coordinates the views and recommendations of its members. It provides information covering all fields of economic policy. The BDI thus supplies support for businesses in the task of keeping pace with the intensive competition resulting from globalisation.
Our Mandate
Voice of German Industry
The BDI is the umbrella organisation of German industry and industry-related service providers. It represents 35 industrial sector federations and has 15 regional offices in the German federal states. BDI speaks for more than 100,000 private enterprises employing around 8 million people. Membership is voluntary.
Key Player in the Democratic
ProcessOur pluralistic democracy can only function if a multiplicity of opinions from civil society is articulated in the political opinion-forming and decision-making process. The open competition of ideas is the healthiest approach to finding the best solutions for our society. The BDI is therefore a vital civic actor and an important force of political reform.
Mediator between Industry and Politics
Industry is the basis of the German economy and plays a decisive role in determining the future competitiveness of our country. The BDI relays the interests of German industry to political representatives in Germany, Europe and worldwide. And vice versa, BDI makes current political decisions transparent to its member associations.
Our Objectives
An Attractive Germany
We need less bureaucracy, government intervention and regulation, and more self responsibility, competition and individual freedom: This is the only way Germany can regain its leading position as an international competitor in terms of innovation, investment, growth and employment until 2010. This is why the BDI is committed to the modernisation of our country. The BDI believes in the spirit of entrepreneurship and market economy. "Venturing freedom - casting off shackles" is our motto for enterprises and citizens alike.
The Social Market Economy
The BDI is firmly committed to the political model of the social market economy founded by Ludwig Erhard. This means the BDI is committed to greater individual freedom, individuality, entrepreneurship and social balance. This also means being the conscience of good economic governance. The social market economy must be re-established as the yardstick for economic policy in Germany.
Strengthen Germany as an industrial country
Germany is and will remain an industrial country. In no other of the world's leading industrial nations does industry contribute more to creating value added. Together with service-oriented industry-related service providers, industry is our national economy's growth core. Industry provided the key impetus for the last upswing. It will create both value added and jobs in the coming upswing too.
Our Mission
Opinion Maker
The BDI enters the political discourse at an early stage. It pools different opinions, creates a balance of interest in cooperation with its member federations and is therefore able to provide politics with coordinated, representative positions. This is essential for democratic decision-making. The BDI also contributes to this process by helping to shape the opinions of the wider public. The President of the BDI and the other entrepreneurs involved give the BDI a high media profile.
Service Provider
The BDI supplies information and advice on economic policy for all issues related to industry and thereby sup-ports enterprises in global competition. The BDI is able to draw on a far-reaching network in Germany and Europe, in all important markets and international organisations. It ensures that penetration into international markets is flanked with appropriate political support. The BDI also deals with issues that individual companies cannot ad-dress at a conceptual level, ranging from municipal fi-nances to corporate governance, from the Kyoto Process to European integration and the world trade talks.
Political Advisor
The BDI is regarded as a leading centre of competence for economic policy in the Federal Republic of Germany. It has a unique concentration of expertise, thanks to the knowledge of the businessmen, who work for the BDI on a voluntary basis, and that of the enterprises, member federations, regional offices, and the staff in Berlin, Brus-sels, London, Washington and Tokyo. This expertise makes the BDI a legitimate and well-tuned advisor to politics.
A Shaping Force
The BDI measures its success according to the extent to which its positions are implemented in politics. It nurtures contacts to government leaders and EU Commissioners, to parties, members of parliament and ministries, to sci-entists, academics and diplomats. The credibility of the BDI is founded on cross-party, objective argumentation. The BDI exerts its influence on the democratic process in a transparent way. As a shaping force, the BDI feels responsible for social items, such as arts, education and immigration policies. The BDI actively supports exem-plary corporate ethics and confers distinction on compa-nies committed to public welfare in an outstanding way.
