The German Pharmaceutical Industry

The pharmaceutical industry makes a considerable contribution to medical progress and thus also to the enhancement of life expectancy and the quality of life. However, the public debate in Germany is dominated by the high expenditures which this same medical progress imposes on the health system.

 

The pharmaceutical sector is one of the most dynamic branches of manufacturing industry and it continues to grow largely independently of the economic cycle. Due to the importance of research for their business, the pharmaceutical companies are reliant on a highly-qualified workforce, to whom they offer in return attractive career opportunities. In view of the ageing populations of the industrialised countries, the expanding population of the world as a whole and the global rise in incomes, the pharmaceutical sector can be expected to enjoy good growth prospects for the foreseeable future.

 

Whilst the opening of markets offers German companies new sales opportunities, it also makes the competition over the location of production and research facilities fiercer. Firms based in Germany are being challenged by competitors who in many cases enjoy better conditions for their research and manufacturing in other countries. As a result, the government faces the challenging task of making investment, innovation and recruitment in Germany more attractive for pharmaceutical companies, and at the same time providing the population with the best possible medical care.