Industrial transformation in Germany stands at a crossroads. Many long-successful sectors are now under growing pressure to develop new business models and achieve sustainable transformation. To keep Germany’s industrial base competitive, business and government must jointly develop strategic solutions that combine effective regulatory frameworks at federal and state level with dynamic regional ecosystems — in […]
The current business climate index published by Creditreform shows a mixed picture: Although the sentiment index for German SMEs improved slightly in autumn 2025, the situation remains tense. Many owner-ed Mittelstand companies report declining earnings, stagnant demand, and growing equity weaknesses. According to Creditreform, 17.6% of businesses stated that they had reduced staff – and
Humanity is lagging behind its goals to limit global warming. Net Zero offers the opportunity to still achieve these goals. Companies play a central role in this. In June 2024, UN Secretary-General António Guterres reminded the global community in urgent words to drastically reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. Only if all countries take a net-zero path can
A valid greenhouse gas balance is the basis of any effective climate protection strategy. All companies are requested to limit global warming by reducing their greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Investments in climate protection are not only worthwhile for the environment and society, but also for companies. According to a study by the Potsdam Institute for
Digital technologies can contribute significantly to making the German economy more ecologically sustainable. According to a study by the German IT industry association Bitkom, accelerated digitization across sectors can lead to a significant reduction in CO2 emissions. The expected reduction is higher than the estimated CO2 emissions of the digital technologies themselves, thus Bitkom expects
The marketing managers of most companies are convinced of the benefits of sustainable marketing. At least, that is the impression given by the results of a 2022 survey: According to the survey, around 90% of respondents from several EU countries believe that it is worthwhile to invest in sustainability. And 5% of German companies plan
Two thirds of German managers believe that sustainability makes economic sense, according to a Capgemini study. At the same time, according to a study by Ipsos and Bertelsmann Stiftung, only slightly less than half of employees (49%) feel that sustainability is important in their companies. This suggests two things: firstly, that the high importance of
Ever more companies are committed to sustainability and are pursuing ambitious sustainability goals. Many even have a sustainability strategy. There is, however, often a clear gap between ambitious goals and their implementation. That is, because in addition to a good sustainability strategy, sustainable corporate management is also required to successfully implement the strategy. That sounds
For the vast majority of the German Mittelstand (owner-led companies including mostly SMEs, but also large firms), sustainability is very important. According to a Commerzbank study from 2021, more than 70 percent of owner-led companies surveyed believe that sustainable action and production are necessary to ensure the future viability of their company. Almost 70 percent
For medium-sized companies, the sustainability of their business activities has always played a major role. The long-term existence of the company is more important to them than high quarterly profits. Accordingly, CEOs of SMEs generally have a positive attitude towards sustainability. However, their ideas on the content and significance of sustainability for their own company
Medium-sized companies in Germany are currently missing out on business opportunities worth billions. The reason: most companies are pursuing sustainability in too limited a way and without a holistic strategy. Untapped sustainability potential According to a PwC study from 2023, 60% of the SMEs surveyed have recognized that they need to drive the transformation towards
