Germany was the big winner on and off the pitch at this year’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The kits of both finalists were German, most of the boots were German (although the goal scorer, Mario Gotze, wore Nike footwear) and even the ball was engineered in Germany. It was a powerful display of the benefits associated with the country’s wholehearted embrace of world-class manufacturing and world-leading technology. And now even Germany’s football jersey is the proud bearer of ‘four-star durch technik’.