As different as the companies and their products are - the companies in the German electrical and digital industry have one thing in common: They are innovative and thus drive technological and also social progress. Their "Electrifying Ideas" are the starting point for a sustainable and livable future - today and tomorrow.

Bringing the world home
No one knows exactly how many electrical appliances are in the approximately 41.5 million German households. The Federal Statistical Office only records the equipment rates for individual goods. In 2020, more than 90% of households had at least one television, and one in five households had a fully automatic coffee machine. Consumer products are simply part of our everyday lives.

The building as the hub of the energy turnaround
Buildings are an important key to achieving climate targets: they consume around 35% of Germany's total final energy and are responsible for almost one-third of energy-related CO2 emissions. We can only achieve the goal of a climate-neutral building stock with an active building turnaround. In the view of the ZVEI, this building turnaround must begin now.

Green, digital, and bold: Shaping the energy transition for the future.

The key to achieving national and European climate targets is to dovetail electrification and digitization. In the coming years, emissions reductions in industry will have to be six times faster than in the past 20 years. Anyone who is serious about climate protection must therefore work toward the three pillars of electrification: The expansion of renewable energies, the digitization of the energy system and a bold reform of electricity prices.

Industry and automation are key to the energy transition

The manufacturing industry and automation are important keys to the transformation to a climate-neutral and sustainable society. Automation technologies are the basis for a more flexible, productive, safe and sustainable industry. Automation, digitization and the intelligent use of production data help to reduce energy and resource consumption, CO2 emissions and costs. The transformation of today's energy landscape can only be realized with automation technology. 

Microelectronics in focus
The current shortage of chips in particular shows how important electronic components are. The megatrends of electrification and digitization have increased the global demand for them immensely. All photovoltaic and wind power plants need chips; every car and every electric car, including charging stations, need them; every automated device, every industrial plant, every washing machine depends on them. Virtually all manufacturers have production in economically important regions, and the chips produced there are in turn consumed in all regions. However, Europe's share of global semiconductor production today is just under 8 percent. 

Full speed ahead toward the mobility of the future
The innovative power of the electrical and digital industries is also having an impact on the further development of mobility. With its sensors, actuators and semiconductors, for example, the industry provides the intelligence for mobility products in the first place. This involves both the change of drive on the rail and on the road. Innovative semiconductor solutions in the automotive sector help to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, among other things. Modern electronics in e-cars manage the battery system, for example; they ensure braking energy recovery and thus help electric vehicles achieve a longer range. 

On the way to individualized healthcare

The use of innovative medical technology is indispensable for modern healthcare: Electromedical systems enable fast, precise diagnoses and lay the foundation for many therapies and life-saving operations. Digitization and a comprehensively networked healthcare infrastructure enable the use of completely new methods and procedures in medical care. Tomorrow's healthcare will thus be more individualized, more precise, more preventive, and possible on a cross-sector and continuous basis.

"Electrifying Ideas! This is what distinguishes the ZVEI and its member companies from the electrical and digital industries. One of Germany's most innovative industries produces the technologies that are now particularly important. For example, in the transformation to a climate-neutral circular economy. 

With an export volume of 246 billion euros (2024), the German electrical and digital industry is one of the world's largest suppliers of electrotechnical and electronic products and systems. Global supply chains are the foundation of its economic activity. The ZVEI is therefore committed to open markets and fair competition. 

Digitization and networking permeate all areas of our lives and are crucial to the future success of Germany as a business location. With its products and system solutions, the German electrical and electronics industry creates the link between hardware and software, or the analog and digital worlds, and thus lays the foundation for digital business models in all of ZVEI's sectors and lead markets. The basic prerequisites for this include access to data, the use of data-driven technologies such as artificial intelligence, a digital infrastructure suitable for industry (5G and broadband), microelectronics and cybersecurity.

Consistent electrification is the key in the fight against climate change. The German electrical and digital industry largely provide the necessary technologies. In combination with digitization and sector coupling, there are good opportunities to minimize CO2 emissions and achieve the ambitious climate targets. 

Global developments such as climate change, rising resource consumption and the increasing complexity of requirements in the supply chain (e.g. on human rights) call for ambitious action. Companies are being called upon by politicians and increasingly also by society to assume their corporate responsibility and make a positive contribution to sustainable development. The electrical and digital industry is taking on this responsibility.