IfM Bonn News

"Water shortages in Germany are not primarily a problem of quantity, but rather – in the face of increasing climate change – a problem of management, distribution and governance," explained Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Friederike Welter early July during the 19th Bonn Academic Summer.

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Is “Made in Germany” still a brand? How can Germany’s position as an economic hub be restored?

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Employees are protected by statutory maternity leave. Those who are self-employed are not. The result: Approximately 27,000 self-employed women in Germany face financial hardship every year just because they are pregnant and run their own businesses.

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Despite the ongoing geopolitical challenges of recent years, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) generated approximately € 2.8 trillion in 2024, according to the recent available data.

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Dr Nadine Schlömer-Laufen and Dr Rosemarie Kay provided the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection and the Federal Ministry of Finance a statement on the concept for a "company with tied-up assets".

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During this year’s “Oxford Residence Week for Entrepreneurship Scholars”, held in mid-June in Varese, Italy, Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Friederike Welter and Dr Vinzenz Peters discussed again their latest research findings with other international entrepreneurship researchers: In her presentation, the IfM …

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The Chinese government has repeatedly used restrictions on access to raw materials and intermediate goods as a weapon of political pressure in the recent past and has limited their export. But many Mittelstand enterprises continue to use deliveries from China.

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How many business owners will transfer their businesses to a successor between 2026 and 2030? What impact will demographic change have?

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In the first episode of the new podcast series "Mittelstand Research Meets Practice", Prof. Dr Andreas Pinkwart talks about how he has used research findings to develop legislation during his time in political office. He also explain how entrepreneurial innovation in Germany can once again help the …

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Dr Vinzenz Peters and Christine Schmelting took part as experts in the public discussion on "Maternity protection for the self-employed" organised by the Bündnis 90/Die Grünen parliamentary group in the Saxon State Parliament at the end of May.

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Are the terms ‘Mittelstand’ and ‘family business’ synonymous? Above what number of employees do companies belong to the Mittelstand?

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How does demographic change affect succession planning? Can external successors or a management buy-out compensate for a lack of willingness to take over within the family business?

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Business closures are not equally distributed across regions: the highest closure rates for the years 2017 to 2019 are found in urban regions such as Berlin, at 13.2%.

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From the perspective of trade associations, academia and economic policymakers, the biggest challenge for the Mittelstand enterprises remains ensuring innovation and competitiveness. This is the key finding of a survey conducted by experts at the IfM Bonn between late February and late March 2026.

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Companies that are affected by a macroeconomic crisis are not only more innovative, their innovations also contribute significantly to the improvement of the company's economic situation.

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