Joerg Jetter, founder and CEO of 4JET, a German firm that makes industrial laser processing technology, poses at the company's headquarters in Alsdorf, western Germany, on February 10, 2026. "In all key industrial sectors, China has changed from a very attractive market into a very capable competitor," Joerg Jetter, CEO of 4JET, a German firm that makes industrial laser processing technology, told AFP. China was long a lucrative market for Germany Inc, but the Asian giant's rise in high-tech fields has put the heat on Europe's industrial powerhouse and its companies, big and small. 4JET, with around 240 employees, has felt the impact first hand: the firm used to have substantial business in solar cell production in China. (Photo by Ina FASSBENDER / AFP via Getty Images)