According to the German Federal Legal Office, the number of industrial espionage cases is on the rise, but officials are coy about specifics.

However, investigations rankings by country indicate the following for Germany’s state of Baden-Wuerttemberg [a state in South Germany; its capital is Stuttgart]: China’s involvement is in first place, followed by Russia, North Korea, Syria, and Pakistan.

Why are China’s agents so interested in Baden-Wuerttemberg? According to one spokesperson, China is on a quest to possess cutting-edge technologies but lacks the ability and wherewithal to develop them. German know-how is important! That also applies to the other nations mentioned above, but they are more interested in weapons technology.

That industrial espionage is happening is evident from activities by the Federal Legal Office staff’s acute interest in the matter. The Office has established a 24-hour hotline for anyone to anonymously report suspected espionage. Incidents of espionage by employees, particularly hacking incidents and data thefts during industrial fairs and expositions, are high on the agenda. According to one Federal Legal Office official, “Someone separates from the group during a tour and absconds with something—it’s a common tactic.”

Ravensburg Attorney General Investigates

Tobias Apfel, press spokesman for the Schuler Group, has only recently gained practical experience ferreting out industrial espionage. “Imagine you are working for a small car manufacturer and are constantly downloading blueprints for trucks—this is noticed.” This is the way Apfel described to Epoch Times reporters the odd behavior of a Chinese employee of press manufacturer Schuler Group, a sister company for Müller Weingarten. The attorney general is now investigating.

Confronted for his strange behavior, the Chinese worker remained mute. That led to his dismissal in October and to an ensuing Attorney General’s investigation at Müller  Weingarten. Nevertheless, it might prove difficult for German law enforcement to actually nab the presumed spy whose last place of residence is unknown at present. According to Apfel, “It is quite possible that he has returned to China, which makes inquiries and filing an eventual lawsuit against him problematic.”
An article in the “Schwäbischer Zeitung” (Swabian newspaper) mentioned lead Attorney General Heister is convinced inquiries will continue until the spring of 2009.

Not an Isolated Incident

According to Apfel, the latest event is not an isolated one at the Schuler Group, “and happens off and on, even with subcontractors.” Apfel has great confidence in the in-house security system that is constantly updated to the latest standards and is always improved upon. No allowances are made for Chinese co-workers who number at most 30 in the company. “They are controlled and scrutinized like all others, but we do not yet know the extent of the damage to the company from this man’s actions,” he said.

Apfel explained the value of Müller Weingarten equipment blueprints for other enterprises this way: “Of course, they could buy the machinery and then reverse-engineer the designs; it has already happened that machines showed up that looked like ours, but their inner workings were different. To copy and manufacture the high-precision inner workings of many of these machines is extremely difficult. And that does not only apply to China alone, but to the rest of the world.”

*State in South Germany, its capital is Stuttgart