At IT-Unternehmertag in Frankfurt am Main, the Federal Association of IT SMEs (BITMi) officially awarded TUP the “Software Made in Germany” quality seal. Why the award is more than a badge on a website, and what digital sovereignty really means.
The German IT Mittelstand came together in Frankfurt am Main, and TUP was there. On October 6, 2026, Dr. Meike Kramer and Eduard Wagner accepted the certificate for the “Software Made in Germany” quality seal at IT-Unternehmertag. It was presented by the board of the Federal Association of IT SMEs (BITMi): President Dr. Oliver Grün and Vice President Martin Hubschneider. BITMi is responsible for the “Software Made in Germany” initiative.
A Seal That Proves Substance
The seal is one of the best-known quality awards in the German IT industry. Together with its expert advisory board, BITMi examines concrete criteria: the manufacturer’s headquarters in Germany, essential development steps and quality assurance carried out in Germany, user interface, documentation and support available in German, contractually guaranteed future viability, and reliable customer references.
For TUP, this is not a change of course but a confirmation of the path we have followed since 1980. Development, quality assurance and project support take place centrally at our company site in Germany. In addition, data is held in accordance with German law, with full transparency about who retains control. For us at TUP, these have always been matters of course, and these values are currently regaining considerable weight, driven by a variety of factors.
Digital Sovereignty Is More Than Infrastructure
Digital sovereignty was the central theme at IT-Unternehmertag. The term is often understood primarily as a question of technical infrastructure: Where are the servers located, and who operates the cloud? These are important questions, but they cover only part of the topic. Software users, too, become more sovereign when they have the flexibility to shape how their software can be adapted. Those who can tailor their systems to their own processes, rather than working within the limits of a product, make better decisions.
This idea was taken up at IT-Unternehmertag: true digital sovereignty does not come from choosing a location, but from flexibility. It shows in system integration, in hosting, in the decision of where data resides, and in who controls the value creation. On-prem, cloud or hybrid: the customer must be able to decide.
Eduard Wagner, CIO at TUP, puts it this way:
“Digital sovereignty is perhaps best expressed in one very simple feeling: my partner remains able to act, and that keeps my own options open as well.”
Sovereignty, then, is not a place but a capability, and it applies to both sides of a partnership.
Software follows function.
This idea follows directly from our mindset: Software Follows Function. Our customers’ processes determine what the software looks like and where it runs, not the other way around. Putting function first means building systems that can be adapted, rather than forcing customers into a rigid corset. This applies to the logic inside the warehouse just as much as to the infrastructure behind it. In this way, the warehouse management system can become a mathematical model of the customer’s precise competitive advantages, and it keeps every path open for the future.
More Transparency, Added Orientation
The “Software Made in Germany” initiative makes visible what lies behind a software product, and thereby helps answer an important question: Whom do I entrust with my processes and my data? This is a contribution to Germany’s digital sovereignty, and we are proud to support it as a certificate holder and part of this community.
Our congratulations go to all awarded companies.
Learn more about our philosophy in a personal conversation or get a first impression online of the certified TUP.WMS warehouse management system.
