The largest European solar panel manufacturer's desire to expand internationally led in 2022 to the first results: by appointing two sales managers for the newly created sales region of Germany, an export sales venture has officially launched. Due to the ongoing solar boom in Europe, the question of whether to expand further continued to gain significance for the manufacturer's management. In order to organize further internationalization ventures that take part in a thought-through and sound concept, the solar manufacturer applied at the FHNW for students' support in creating such a concept.

The literature speaks of the internationalization of companies as a gradual process that is driven by increasing market knowledge and experience and how to increase these forms of knowledge. The analysis of the distribution channels via agent, distributor, or sales subsidiary determines the direction of the export strategy. The PESTEL environmental analysis, industry analysis, competitor analysis, and interviews with various market participants help the client to develop relevant market knowledge and, when compared with the academic literature, allow recommendations for action to be drawn up.

The comprehensive sales concept provides an innovation differentiation strategy as the primary strategy, which has prevailed over the marketing differentiation strategy. In order to increase market knowledge and experience and to ensure that the actions introduced are followed with faster success, it is necessary to recruit industry experts with a relevant track record. Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) is still a market niche in Austria that is fortunately growing. A push marketing strategy is sensible and promising in order to work market niches efficiently. With the final results packaged in a sales concept, the solar manufacturer can rely on a well-founded analysis of the Austrian market and implement well-thought-out solution proposals. The scientific derivation of the concept, with the various forms of analysis and collection of primary data, simultaneously created a guideline on how other export markets can be professionally analyzed.