Healthcare sector

Symbol Gesundheitswirtschaft

The healthcare sector is a major pillar of the German economy. With a gross value added of around 365 billion euros, it made up 12,1 percent of Germany’s GDP in 2020. Comprehensive healthcare coverage is a stand-out feature of the German healthcare market, which also excels in developing innovative high-tech medical devices and pharmaceutical products as well as new diagnostic and treatment methods.

Together with the data processing and electronics industry, the healthcare sector invests more in research and development than any other branch of the economy. This is particularly true in the fields of biotechnology, medical technology and telemedicine, all of which play a major role in the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft’s research portfolio. Fraunhofer focuses on all four key areas of health research – drugs, diagnostics, devices and data, or 4D for short. True to its interdisciplinary principles, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft brings together physicians, natural scientists, computer scientists and engineers to create the perfect conditions for innovation and the rapid commercialization of new ideas..

 

For further information on the lead market for the health care sector, see the website of the Fraunhofer Group for Health Research.