German Industry Sees Defence Manufacturing Growth, DIHK Survey

Survey by the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) German Industry sees growing Opportunities in Defence and Supply Chains

2026-04-04 From Detlev Karg 1 min Reading Time

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One in six industrial companies in Germany is already integrated into the defence industry’s value chain, according to the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK). The proportion is said to be particularly high in vehicle manufacturing, at 36 per cent.

German Chamber of Industry and Commerce: More industrial companies see opportunities in the defence sector.

(Photo: Wiki Commons, K.Kutscher, CC BY-SA 4.0)

German Wirtschaftswoche magazine has obtained a corresponding DIHK survey. Of the 17 per cent of companies across all industrial sectors that are part of the military value chain, not all are specialised in defence goods, according to the survey. Only 2.5 per cent of all industrial companies explicitly produce military goods, while 6.9 per cent manufacture so-called dual-use products. A further 7.6 per cent see themselves as suppliers to the sector.

Soon, 25 per cent of German companies could be directly or indirectly active in the defence sector.

Looking ahead, the report says that, in addition to the current 17 per cent, a further 12.3 per cent of industrial companies are planning to become involved in the defence sector. DIHK expert Rainer Kambeck told the newspaper that “the survey reflects the strong prospects in the defence industry as a result of geopolitical conflicts”. According to the DIHK, there are marked regional differences: particularly large numbers of defence-related companies are found in southern Germany, where the proportion stands at 21 per cent. In northern Germany it is 16 per cent, in the west 14.1 per cent, and in eastern Germany only 8.8 per cent.

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