Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the concept of "hidden champions," which are small to medium-sized enterprises that dominate niche markets but remain largely unknown to the general public. These companies are characterized by their strong technological capabilities, high product value, and difficulty for competitors to imitate. Germany has a significant number of these hidden champions compared to other countries, particularly China, which has fewer than 100 such companies [9][12]. Group 1: Definition and Characteristics of Hidden Champions - The term "hidden champion" was introduced by German scholar Hermann Simon in 1990, referring to companies that are not well-known but hold a leading position in a specific niche market [9]. - Hidden champions typically exhibit several unusual characteristics: they are often rooted in small towns, have a long history of family ownership, maintain low employee turnover, and focus on highly specialized core businesses [10]. - Simon's criteria for identifying hidden champions include being among the top three in a niche market globally or the top in a continent, having annual revenues not exceeding 5 billion euros, and being relatively unknown to the public [10]. Group 2: Germany's Hidden Champions - Germany is home to nearly half of the world's hidden champions, with around 3,000 such companies globally [12]. - The article highlights examples of hidden champions like Wanzl, which dominates the global market for shopping carts with over 50% market share, and Körber, a leader in high-speed cigarette manufacturing machines [14][16]. - The strength of Germany's manufacturing sector is attributed to its small and medium-sized enterprises, which make up over 99% of all companies and contribute 55% to the GDP [22]. Group 3: Challenges Faced by Hidden Champions - Recently, many German hidden champions, particularly in the automotive sector, have faced bankruptcy due to rising costs and external pressures, such as the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on energy prices [30][34]. - The aging workforce in Germany is leading to a significant labor shortage, with projections indicating a shortfall of up to 7 million jobs by 2035 [36]. - The rise of Chinese automotive manufacturing has also affected the revenues of German hidden champions, as Chinese suppliers offer competitive pricing and quality, leading to a decline in demand for German products [36][37].

以下文章来源于地球知识局 ，作者地球知识局 地球知识局 . 人文+地理+设计，全球视野新三观。 合作请联系：xiaobaibai_9999（注明品牌和需求） 本文来自微信公众号： 地球知识局 （ID：diqiuzhishiju） ，作者： 绯红之猪，制图：桐，校对： 朝乾，编辑：Alicia，题图来自：视觉中国 现在这个营销为王的世界，很多企业都生怕自己的品牌曝光不够，但还有这么一类企业，在大众消费 者当中知名度甚低，且并不追求增加曝光度或者上市，却能 在某个极度细分的领域成为王者 ，这就 是隐形冠军企业。 《财富》杂志评选的2024世界500强企业中，出口额世界第一的中国有133家企业上榜，而出口额世 界第二的德国则只有29席。但在隐形冠军的数量上，德国却远远领先我国。 进入500强的德企基本还是人们比较熟悉的▼ | 79 | Uniper公司(UNIPER) | 116662.5 | 6819.3 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 82 | 安联保险集团(ALLIANZ) | 113517.7 | 9233.3 | | 101 | 意昂集团(E.ON) | 101280.1 | ...