Study: German companies reluctant to collaborate with start-ups

72 percent of European companies carry out projects with startups, two-thirds of which rate the collaboration as strategically important to crucial. German companies bring up the rear in terms of their willingness to cooperate with startups.

A new study by Sopra Steria shows that open innovation, the collaboration of companies with startups to find new solutions, has become the standard strategy. The report also shows that 72 percent of European companies have projects with startups, and two-thirds of companies rank collaboration as strategic to critical. Sustainability, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity are the top three issues where companies are pushing collaboration with startups.

German companies skeptical about startup collaborations

However, the study found that German companies are the least likely to collaborate with startups compared to other European countries. In Germany, 57 percent of companies have already collaborated with startups. A full 13.8 percent rated collaborations as unimportant. 48 percent achieved their goals for startup collaborations in only half of the projects carried out. Nevertheless, 59 percent of the German companies surveyed plan to start collaborating with startups in the next 18 months.

As a counterexample, 92 percent of companies in Italy plan to invest in further open innovation projects, while only two percent do not.

Overall, German companies are now more open to collaborations with startups. Especially in industries such as the public sector, a cultural shift toward open innovation can be observed, for example through initiatives such as the GovTech Campus in Berlin.

About the study

The Open Innovation Report 2023 study was conducted in September 2022 by Ipsos for Sopra Steria and INSEAD. It examined collaborations between startups and companies in ten European countries. A total of 1,648 participants were surveyed, including 188 startups and 56 companies from Germany. The study included startups founded after 2017 and employing no more than 20 people.

The summary of the study for the German market is available here: Sopra Steria

About Sopra Steria

Sopra Steria is a European technology company that helps businesses and government agencies with their digital transformation. With comprehensive end-to-end solutions and deep industry expertise, it aims to increase clients' competitiveness and performance. The company takes a collaborative approach and relies on innovative technologies to shape a positive future. Sopra Steria has 50,000 employees in around 30 countries and is listed on Euronext Paris.