The government has launched an accelerator for UK tech startups looking to expand into the German market.
Managed by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), the accelerator will offer places for six British emerging tech companies and will provide training and resources to grow their presence in Germany.
The accelerator is seeking startups in areas such as AI, cybersecurity, quantum computing, IoT and digital transformation.
The accelerator will be hosted at the CODE hub in Stuttgart, which focuses on future industries. The five-month programme will include introductions with global corporations such as Bosch, BMW and ZF.
Stuttgart, the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg, is Germany’s most intensive research and development spender.
“Our trading relationship with Germany is one of the most high-tech on earth…the UK’s trade with Germany surpasses trade with China in value and is second only to UK trade with the US but with the benefit of being right on our doorstep,” said Kathryn Boyd, country director for Germany for DBT.
Boyd said the UK exports about £2.4bn of tech services to Germany, which is a 60% increase over the last eight years.
“With Europe’s leading tech eco-system being found right here in the UK, our businesses are perfectly placed to ensure that Germany’s leading global corporates and exporters are early adopters of emerging technologies.”
The German accelerator launch follows the establishment of a tech startup sandbox project in Estonia for UK firms to test new regulations.