Patterns of Industrial Change in the Federal Republic of Germany. Part I: Flows of Manufacturing Output and Energy Input

Abstract

During the period of economic prosperity ushered in by the reconstruction and development of the FRG following World War II, the value of manufacturing capital stock, measured in constant 1970 prices, expanded at an average annual rate of 7.8% in the 1950s (which was perhaps not a normal period) and 6.9% in the 1960s. The growth of total manufacturing output was unusually high during the 1950s (with an average annual rate of 10.3%) and continued at a somewhat reduced, but still high level during the 1960s (5.5% per annum) (see Table 1). The prime movers behind this development were the expansion of infrastructure and the growth of the chemical, automobile, and electric and electronic equipment industries. The electric equipment industry is traditionally heavily dependent on innovation, and the application of new technologies; much the same applies to a number of chemical goods, such as synthetic fibers, drugs, and pharmaceuticals.