Industry sponsors medical research in the fields of pharmaceutical products, diagnostics, medical technology, medical equipment, clinical nutrition and information systems. In pharmaceutical research, the companies of VFA invested a total of DM 4.3 billion in 1995, that means 18% of the turnover. DM 1.4 billion were spent mainly on clinical research studies. Beyond this, industry shares the costs of academic research institutes and gives support through its foundations. The decreasing number of domestic clinical studies, that German clinics complain about, is caused by organisational and administrative deficiencies, leading to major economic disadvantages. Recommendations of how to improve the situation exist and must be implemented.