Service providers as versatile and specialised economic engine

The service sector is flourishing and has a bright future. German companies are highly innovative, constantly expanding their range of services and have become synonymous with outstanding quality. Digitalisation and technological progress are opening up new business models that can help extend the value creation chain and strengthen the service sector. By offering tailor made services, this prospering sector is gaining increasing importance in a specialised economy.

Business related service providers are experts in their respective fields and indispensable partners of economy. They provide their services for business customers from industry, trade and crafts as well as in the service sector itself and take on more and more specialised tasks. In doing so, they support companies in their day-to-day business and make a significant contribution to increasing their efficiency.

Experts in their fields

The range of tasks that B2B service providers is diverse. IT companies have become the world largest companies by developing their software services instead of mere hardware. Financial service providers can relieve companies of administrative tasks such as accounting, controlling and financing or take over receivables management. Facility management companies offer security services, cleaning services or property management. Logistics service providers specialise in areas including the safe and fast transport or storage of goods. Marketing and public relations firms conduct market analyses and provide targeted marketing services for companies’ products and services. In addition, service companies also offer a variety of other specialised services, for example in labour market services such as recruitment, tourism, property rental, catering and training sectors play a central role.

Wholesale and foreign trade companies have also evolved into professional service providers. Services have become the crucial part in the portfolio of a wholesaler and comprise services such as finance, logistics or consulting. Almost 2/3 of our GDP is nowadays generated by trade and services.

Our Goal: Creating the conditions for business success

In order to further increase its impact as the leading B2B organisation, the BGA is focusing its profile on the areas of finance, facility management, information technologies, logistics, media and marketing as well as other services.

Together with its member associations – both regional and branch associations – the BGA brings together professional expertise, tracks economic trends, develops statistical data and takes a position on key political issues. This increases the attractiveness as a network partner and stakeholder for associations, companies, administration and government from the B2B services sector. The B2B service sector needs clear, reliable and predictable political and economic conditions to continuously contributing to the economy in the future. This is what the BGA advocates. Our commitment to modern data policies, a well-developed transport infrastructure and a comprehensive and efficient digital infrastructure sets the agenda. We campaign for pay and working time regulations that meet the everyday needs of businesses in the digital era.

The service sector as a job creator

The German service sector has gained from the structural transformation that has taken place in the economy as a whole. With almost eight million employees, corporate services are the most effective job creator in Germany. The sector is labour-intensive and offers promising opportunities, especially for qualified employees. It will continue to grow strongly in the coming years and will generate thousands of new jobs.

Service exports

Germany is also well-positioned in service exports worth €250 billion. Germany currently takes the fourth place behind the United States, China and the United Kingdom, even though the main focus of German service providers lies on the national market. However in some areas, including construction services, Germany is already the world export leader. These services already make up 15 per cent of total exports.