The News
DRESDEN — The rise of populist candidates in Germany is spurring the country’s tech scene into the political fray.
Once hesitant to openly advocate for or against a specific political party, German players ranging from tech giants to industry groups to startups have in recent months made their opposition to the far right known on social media, in interviews, and through press releases. Their activity has escalated ahead of elections in two German states this Sunday, where the eurosceptic Alternative für Deutschland party could finish in first place, polls show.
Though the AfD likely won’t win enough seats in any state parliament to form a government, the German tech sector is anxious that the party’s anti-immigration stance could hurt the country’s appeal for skilled, foreign workers, who are a critical part of Europe’s effort to catch up in the high-tech space.
“A lot of people here in the company are worried about the far right,” Michael Woittennek, the CEO of chipmaker X-Fab’s Dresden site, told Semafor. He said he’s told employees that “we don’t need the far right or the radicals, that we have to vote for democratic parties, and should consider that this is important for the economic situation in the future.”
The reaction from German tech leaders is more homogenous than Silicon Valley’s recent approach to the US election, in which several high-profile billionaires are backing Donald Trump, while Kamala Harris enjoys widespread support from startups and VCs.
Know More
Germany’s high-tech sphere, especially chipmaking, is becoming increasingly globalized. While workers in X-Fab clean rooms speak German, Woittennek said his R&D employees, many of whom aren’t originally from Germany, are allowed to speak English at work.
And the country is leaning on international investment from major companies like the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, which just broke ground on a plant in Dresden and will likely employ hundreds of non-Germans.
“People in the semiconductor industry are aware that we need this cosmopolitan approach, we need this diversity, and we need immigration,” X-Fab’s Woittennek said.
Siemens and Volkswagen were among 30 major German companies that signed a letter in May opposing extremist and populist parties. Leaders of industry groups like Silicon Saxony, which represents microelectronic companies, and digital association Bitkom have similarly warned that the AfD would be bad for business.
A survey run by the organization found that just 3% of German startup founders favor the AfD. And the head of the country’s startup association said: “Populist answers fail with startups.”