CEO Interview: GTAI
“There’s a huge need for intelligent transportation”
Robert Hermann, CEO of Germany Trade & Invest, talks about what his agency does to attract international ITS companies to the heart of Europe. Germany, he says, is poised to become a center of this exciting future sector.
Tell us a little bit about your mission at Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI). What current projects are you most excited about and why?
GTAI is the German national government’s agency for internal business promotion. We help German companies do business abroad and international firms come to Germany and set up shop here. We’re the first point of contact for trade and expansion in both directions – and all our services are for free because we’re owned by Germany’s Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.
In addition, we promote German in general as a business location. We also specifically focus of on those parts of Germany currently undergoing especial structural change, including the entire east of the country.
Our clients can count on complete confidentiality, so you will understand that we cannot discuss any of the projects we have in the pipeline. We leave it up to our clients to decide what to make public and when, although we’re happy to promote them as “success stories” once such information has been released. But our role in Intel’s recent 17-billion-euro expansion to Magdeburg illustrates the sort of projects in which GTAI is involved
How does what you do apply to the intelligent transportation sector? Do you have any examples you can share of a successful implementation of your technology?
GTAI is the first port of call at the federal level for foreign businesses that would like to learn about possibilities for expanding to Germany. To make that as easy as possible, GTAI advises and supports international investors in everything from finding a suitable location in Germany to exploring incentive and entering the market.
GTAI also promotes Germany's overall advantages as an excellent ITS business location internationally. This benefits not only Germany as a business location, but also the image of German companies as reliable partners, suppliers and service providers worldwide.
Germany is Europe’s automotive heartland, so it’s only logical that, as the automotive industry and mobility in general changes to meet the needs of the future, intelligent transportation will be a massive sector in the country. Companies in this sector would be well advised to take advantage of the opportunities available in Germany.
What are GTAI’s biggest opportunities in the next couple of years?
In times of uncertainty all over the globe, there is lots of disruption. But disruption also entails plenty of business opportunities. The transportation and mobility industry has a huge need for innovative companies with state-of-the-art technologies. Our services are tailored to helping such companies get the most out of Germany.
What are you most looking forward to for ITS World Congress 2022 in Los Angeles? What can we expect to learn from your team on-site at #ITSWC2022?
Germany is recognized the world over for its outstanding automotive industry and excellence in engineering. From Asia to the Americas, German cars, engineering and infrastructure embody cherished values of innovation, reliability, safety and design. Did you know that Germany is the first country in the world to allow Level 4 autonomous-driving testing on highways? That’s just one example of how Europe’s largest economy and one of the world’s biggest automotive markets is leading the way in intelligent transport.
You can get all this information and more at the ITS World Congress 2022. We look forward to talking to as many people as possible during the event.