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12 Made in Germany: Inventing is our strength
MADE IN GERMANY
INVENTING
IS OUR
STRENGTH
In terms of the quantity of technical innovations
that Germany produces it is no
longer a world leader. But the quality of
new developments is not determined
solely by their quantity.
A 19th century critic of the motor car built
by Carl Benz claimed that it was “too
loud, too fast and too dangerous”. This is,
of course, not true of the majority of
newideas developed by German inventors.
Most of the genuinely pioneering innovations
from Germany have succeeded
because of their high quality, as did
the motor car.
Germans seem to have inherited the invention
gene. But Germany is no longer the
country with the most patents registered
each year, as the news magazine “Der
Spiegel” discovered. In 2011 it was in fifth
place behind China, the USA, Japan and
South Korea. However, it is important to
mention that the sheer volume of patents
says nothing about the quality of the new
ideas and products.
Ensuring that innovations from Germany
are of high enough quality to be successful
on world markets requires constant effort.
For example, in the engineering industry,
one of the cornerstones of the German
economy, more than EUR 5 billion is invested
every year in research and development.
Companies have no choice but to invest
large sums if they want to continue to be
able to offer innovative high-quality
products and services in future.
wöhnervision
In order to maintain their position on the
increasingly competitive global markets in
the decades to come, German firms will
have to continue spending large amounts
of money on research and development.
Ultimately, this is all about raising awareness
among customers all over the world of
the quality of goods that are “Made in Germany”.
Purchasers need to be convinced
that an expensive product from Germany is
preferable to a cheaper alternative because
of its quality. A longer service life, greater
flexibility and improved sustainability are
the arguments used and the result of corporate
investment. All of this pays off for
customers.
One of the greatest German inventors of all
time explained the credo behind the German
desire to innovate: “I have always acted
according to the principle that I would
rather lose money than trust,” said Robert
Bosch once. “The integrity of my promises,
the belief in the value of my products and
in my word of honour have always had a
higher priority to me than a transitory profit.”
That says it all.
WÖHNER REFERENCES
Innovation at Wöhner: in 2008 the CrossLink® Technology
created by the in-house research and development
department was launched on the market.
CrossLink® Technology meets the highest standards
of plant availability and personal safety.
THE PRINTING PRESS
Johannes Gutenberg, a goldsmith from
Mainz, invented the printing press
with movable letters made of metal. This
made it possible to produce books on
an industrial scale and triggered a revolution
in knowledge.
Around 1450