28.01.2010: China catches up with Japan as popular export country in 2009

German companies more often address markets in Asia than their European competitors. For the companies in other European countries Germany itself is by far the most important export country. To the companies in other European countries apart from Germany, markets in Asian are becoming more popular, too. Almost half (47%) of the non-German microtechnology, nanotechnology and advanced materials companies intend to enter markets in Asia soon, whereas currently the share is still at 19%. China, for the first time, has caught up with Japan in the ranking list of Asian countries in 2009. Next to Japan, China, South Korea and Taiwan, the European companies now also more frequently aim for "exotic" markets, such as Russia and India.

Source: IVAM Research, Survey of the European Micro, Nano and Advanced Materials industry, December 2009