To date, platform business has accounted for just 1.5% of the German manufacturing industry’s gross value added, states the Fraunhofer ISI . This is probably partly due to the challenges associated with this form of business. One risk, for example, is that companies with small and rather simple product portfolios could come under pressure, since the platforms provide easier market access for cheaper competitors from emerging markets. To exploit the advantages of the platform economy, the authors of the study recommend adopting new perspectives, instead of merely product-centered perspectives. They also recommend that political support not be focused on individual players, rather on networks, to achieve high economies of scale.

However, German industry is skeptical of a stronger regulation of platforms. The Federation of German Industries (BDI) notes that the platform business is currently in an evolutionary phase that should not be nipped in the bud “through excessive regulation”. Instead, an innovation-friendly ecosystem should be established.