Despite a growing sense of disquiet about the broader political and economic environment, the market performed well last year, growing by 6.3% to reach a value of almost €8.7bn. Growth was highest—at 6.5%—in Germany, with Industry 4.0 driving strong demand in manufacturing. Switzerland was just behind at 5.7%, though performance was down from the 7% rate enjoyed 2014, largely because of the removal of a cap on the franc. Austria was the comparative laggard of the group, with just 2.7% growth, as the market was impacted by slow decision making and a considerable degree of nervousness.

The report contains market size and growth data broken down by country, as well as regional data on industry and service line market sizes, growth figures, and forecasts for major client industries, consulting service lines, and firm types.