TNS Infratest owns the remaining 51%.

The Berlin-based agency, known for its election polling with broadcaster ARD, will continue to be run by managing director Richard Hilmer (pictured) and plenipotentiary Reinhard Schlinkert.

The two firms said they want to strengthen their 15-year long collaboration and lay the groundwork for an expansion of their activities in response to the increasing digitalisation of the economy and society.

As well as election polls, the agency runs continuous trends surveys in each of Germany’s states and for the country as a whole.