 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| . |  |
. |
Hanover, Germany (AFP) March 1, 2010 Germany's high-tech industry is not expected to return to growth until 2011 after a devastating recession in 2009, its chief lobby group said Monday ahead of the giant CeBIT trade fair. Turnover this year will be at around the same level as last year, but in 2011, the sector is poised to grow by 1.6 percent to 142 billion euros (193 billion dollars), the BITKOM industry organisation said. "Demand is taking off significantly, especially in the IT sector," said BITKOM President August-Wilhelm Scheer. "The barriers for firms to invest in IT solutions are slowly disappearing. We expect a dramatic push from the CeBIT," Scheer told reporters in the northern German city of Hanover. In 2009, the sector suffered a slump of 4.3 percent, Scheer said, as Germany, Europe's biggest economy, suffered its worst recession since World War II. "As before, demand is coming from individual consumers," Scheer said, adding that smartphones, mobile computers and flat screen televisions were the most sought-after. Investment in IT is also beginning to thaw as companies see a brighter future, he said, adding that investment is set to grow by 1.4 percent in 2010, before registering 3.8 percent growth next year, according to BITKOM figures. The mood among IT and telecom firms has improved as the effects of the crisis begin to fade and investment begins to flow again. Nearly two-thirds of German high-tech firms (59 percent) expect turnover growth in 2010, a level not seen since mid-2008, before the crisis hammered the sector, BITKOM said. The bullish prediction came one day before the CeBIT, the world's biggest high-tech fair, throws its doors open to the public with Spain, the current EU president, this year's guest of honour. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero were due to speak later Monday in an official opening ceremony before touring the exhibition early Tuesday. A total of 4,157 firms from 68 countries are to unveil their latest gadgets, a decline of three percent on last year as many high-tech firms stay away amid strong competition from other events. In a bid to arrest the slide, this year's CeBIT has refocused its efforts on fun gadgets for consumers, hoping visitor numbers will be revived. The fair runs until March 6.
Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links Global Trade News
Chile quake leaves copper market in crisisSantiago, Chile (UPI) Mar 1, 2009 Fears of copper production problems in Chile, the world's largest supplier of the metal, have driven copper prices upward and may push the commodity into the lap of profiteering speculators amid uncertainty about future Chilean shipments. Less than a month ago, market analysts were saying that suspected stockpiling by speculators and a perceived world surplus could cause copper prices t ... read more |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2010 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
YahooMyWeb
Google
Facebook