eco Publishes an Appeal

• eco Association calls on the German federal government to strengthen Germany's position as an AI hub through concrete measures
• Study shows: companies are already generating EUR 120 billion in turnover through AI-driven innovations
• Less red tape, more computing capacity and no AI tax: the Association warns against further disadvantages for Germany as a business location

Berlin, 28 October 2026 - Germany must not fall behind in the international competition for artificial intelligence (AI). In an appeal published today ahead of the German federal government's Digital Summit on 2 and 3 November, eco - Association of the Internet Industry is calling on the German federal government to follow up its announcements on strengthening Germany's position as an AI hub with concrete measures. While AI has long been an important economic factor for companies, high energy costs, lengthy approval procedures and increasing regulation threaten to slow down investment. The Association warns that Germany risks missing out on economic opportunities in one of the most important key technologies unless the framework conditions improve fundamentally.

"The German federal government must not miss the AI opportunity. Germany has the expertise, the companies and the industrial potential to play a leading role in AI. But we cannot assume that this will automatically translate into economic success. The Digital Summit must not remain merely a summit of good intentions. Political decisions must now follow that enable investment, facilitate innovation and secure value creation in Germany," says Oliver Süme, Chair of the Board of eco.

EUR 120 Billion in Turnover: AI Is Already an Economic Factor

The scale of the economic potential is demonstrated by the latest eco study "The Germany Case: How AI Is Transforming the Industrial Business Model", produced in collaboration with IW Consult. Companies in Germany are already generating more than EUR 120 billion in turnover from product innovations and services that incorporate AI elements. Industrial applications in particular offer significant opportunities for Germany as a business location. Furthermore, companies that use AI are significantly more likely to be innovators than those that do not.

To build on this strength, eco calls for a consistent policy to strengthen Germany as a business location. The focus is on expanding high-performance data centres, ensuring competitive energy prices and accelerating approval procedures. The data centre strategy adopted by the German federal government is an important step, but it must now be implemented swiftly.

Promote AI Rather Than Hold It Back with New Levies

At the same time, eco warns against undermining competitiveness through additional regulatory hurdles and new taxes. The Association calls for a substantial simplification of European digital regulation, greater legal certainty for the development and training of AI, and the avoidance of special national regulations that fragment the European Single Market.

eco also firmly rejects the idea of a possible AI tax. In the Association's view, such a levy would not only affect large technology companies but would also, through rising costs, place a burden on medium-sized businesses, start-ups and companies that integrate AI into their products and business processes.

"Making AI more expensive to use while simultaneously hindering the development of the necessary infrastructure risks driving investment and value creation elsewhere. Germany must now promote the widespread adoption of AI across the economy rather than placing new obstacles in its way," emphasises Süme.

Another key focus of the appeal is international cooperation. Digital sovereignty must not be confused with isolationism. Germany and Europe must strengthen their own technological capabilities while continuing to support open markets, competition and reliable international partnerships.

With its appeal "From Ambition to Implementation: Strengthening Germany as an AI Hub Now", eco Association calls on the German federal government to use the Digital Summit as a starting point for concrete economic policy decisions. The crucial point, according to the Association, is that Germany must not remain merely a user of international AI technologies but must itself become a leading location for AI development and innovation.

Read eco Association's full appeal for the 2026 Digital Summit here. (German-language)

About eco: With around 1,000 member companies, eco is the leading association of the Internet industry in Europe. Since 1995, eco has played a key role in shaping the Internet, promoting new technologies, creating framework conditions and representing its members' interests in the political arena and in international bodies. eco has offices in Cologne, Berlin and Brussels.