Many globally renowned manufacturers of business software are located in Germany. This represents one of the key strengths of the German economy. However, this position is under threat, above all from key players in the USA and India.

In view of these challenges, many companies and research institutions in the Software-Cluster are pursuing the following objectives:

• Cooperation: creation of complementary innovations

Cooperative research, development and evaluation as well as the international exploitation and marketing of emergent software for digital companies in an Internet society. Thanks to the close cooperation within the Software-Cluster, synergies can be exploited in order to gain an innovative advantage in the area of corporate software. Together with "embedded software", corporate software represents the most important pillar of the German software industry, and the cluster will help to strengthen Germany's leading position within the global software environment on a sustainable basis through "innovations from a single source". Thanks to close cooperation during the development and utilization of complementary innovations, software companies within the cluster have a significant advantage in relation to knowledge, when compared with companies outside of the cluster. This, in turn, makes their products more competitive. The implementation of objectives, however, demands a great deal of shared effort and cross-company cooperation within the Software-Cluster.

• Strengthening of the cluster: competitiveness, growth, jobs

A strengthening of the important position held by the Germany economy within the corporate software sector, which includes the safeguarding of jobs and the creation of new ones in this area, is one of the primary objectives of the Software-Cluster. This can be achieved by improving the basic conditions for the software industry in the cluster regions. For example, via the utilization of shared, application-oriented training courses, the recruitment of specialists and managers and the foundation of additional innovative software companies.

• International visibility: world's Leading-Edge Cluster of excellence

Cultivation of the Software-Cluster into an internationally visible, globally dominant cluster and growth pool for the software industry, which attracts, creates and secures high-quality jobs.

• Agenda setting: establish emergent software as a brand

Establishment of an emergent software "brand" for digital companies, which stands for innovation and quality in the area of corporate software. This will improve the international market chances for companies within the Software-Cluster and provide outstanding career opportunities for graduates from these companies.