The German DAX opened 0.2% lower at 25,770.45 points on Tuesday, weighed down by a sharp selloff in technology stocks that spilled over from Asian markets.
The decline followed disappointing earnings results from Samsung Electronics in South Korea, which sparked renewed selling pressure across growth equities.
This tech-led weakness mirrors a broader risk-off sentiment that has already dragged down the Dutch AEX index in recent sessions.
While the broader index struggled, ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) shares opened slightly higher, decoupling from the sector-wide downturn.
The defense contractor's resilience comes on the back of reports that it has won Canada's $37 billion submarine contract, providing a counterweight to the tech-driven market malaise.
Investors appear to be rotating away from high-multiple growth names toward more defensive, order-book-backed industrial plays.