A founding member of the European Union, Germany is one of the most powerful and influential economies in the world and is the largest manufacturing economy in Europe. German companies such as Siemens, Volkswagen, BMW, Daimler & Allianz are known to be global leaders and have a world-wide network of branches. Leading sectors looking for international professionals include chemicals, engineering, electronics, IT, machinery, automobiles & manufacturing. Areas with high growth prospects include telecommunication, high-tech manufactured products, automotive industry, banking & finance.