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Future industries such as energy, environmental technology, healthcare, and civil security are considered, as well as traditional industrial sectors. Through coordinated modules, companies can choose services tailored to their individual needs to successfully enter foreign markets.
More and more SMEs are venturing into foreign markets
Increasing numbers of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are taking the plunge into export business. Their primary goal is to access and secure new markets. With great success, as the figures show: since 2000, the export revenue of SMEs has increased by almost 40% to over 200 billion euros. Companies that succeed in establishing themselves abroad with niche products have good chances of success: Germany is home to 1,300 medium-sized world market leaders ('Hidden Champions'), primarily in the electrical, mechanical engineering, and industrial products sectors.
For success in foreign business, the primary factor is the company's own initiative: they need to rely on a good product, a promising strategy, and reliable financing.
Support from the BMWK
This entrepreneurial challenge is supported in various ways by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK): for example, through trade policy measures that facilitate market access abroad or through targeted support for selected activities at all stages of the export business.
The support programs are efficiently coordinated and bundled under the umbrella brand 'Mittelstand Global.' The SME Market Development Program (MEP) is aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises across industries and offers additional funding priorities in key future sectors such as healthcare, environmental technology, and civil security technologies and services. The sector-specific energy export initiative promotes market potential for German energy technologies abroad, covering all types of climate-friendly energy solutions.
Additional offerings, such as the foreign trade fair program, foreign market information from Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI), consulting services from the German Chambers of Commerce Abroad, as well as export credit guarantees ('Hermes coverages') and investment guarantees, round off the BMWK's foreign trade promotion. The offerings of the export initiatives and the MEP are divided into modules that can be used either individually or in combination.
State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern also offers support
The state government of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern also supports local companies in entering the export business. It promotes the participation of companies from the state in trade fairs at home and abroad through individual trade fair funding and the promotion of joint company stands or participation in the state's trade fair stand. In addition, trade delegation trips are an important door opener for accessing foreign markets. There are also annual events on foreign trade.
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