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Renewable energy and energy efficiency issues are gaining in importance not only in Germany and Europe but also world-wide. In both areas, German companies' know-how is in international demand. To enable them to take full advantage of emerging business opportunities, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy is accompanying German companies on their way into foreign markets with two export initiatives.

Helping to protect the climate around the world: the Renewable Energy Export Initiative

More and more renewable energy projects around the world are being awarded on the basis of international tendering procedures. Such tenders harbour numerous opportunities for German companies, but also pose challenges. The Renewable Energy Export Initiative helps German firms – especially small and medium-sized enterprises – to tap into foreign markets and to export technologies for exploiting renewable energy sources. The aim is to advertise know-how "made in Germany" world-wide and to enhance its market potential abroad. The Renewable Energy Export Initiative has already been around since 2002 and is being implemented with the aid of numerous partners in Germany and abroad. It not only strengthens Germany's position as a business location but also helps to achieve global climate change mitigation targets.

Saving energy world-wide: the Energy Efficiency Export Initiative

Soaring demand for raw materials and high prices for fossil fuels on the world market have prompted many countries to re-think. Many governments are setting themselves ambitious energy-saving targets to play their part in combating climate change. More and more companies are recognising that energy-efficient technologies can reduce their dependence on fossil fuel resources and help them to cut their costs and become more competitive. Energy-efficient solutions from Germany are in demand around the world – because many German companies are international leaders in this field.

With its Energy Efficiency Export Initiative, the Federal Government has been assisting German providers of energy-efficient products, systems and services since 2007 in taking their business abroad – and that in all phases of export activity: from testing via penetrating to cultivating their target markets. An online database helps small and medium-sized companies to present their products and reference projects "made in Germany" to an international audience. The database enables potential customers and partners in other countries to gain an impression of the usefulness of efficiency-enhancing technologies and to search for suitable suppliers and service providers.

With its offerings – the online database, business trips and fact-finding-missions – the Export Initiative pursues the aim of sensitizing foreign decision-makers for energy-efficient solutions, publicising German know-how world-wide and enhancing the market potential of German energy efficiency technologies abroad.