IfM Bonn News

Floods are the most prevalent natural hazard in Europe. Scientific research has shown that their frequency and destructive power will continue to increase due to global warming.

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Im 1. Halbjahr dieses Jahres ist die Anzahl der beantragten Unternehmensinsolvenzen auf rund 12.800 (+6,7 %) gestiegen. Im Vergleich zum 1. Halbjahr 2025, in dem die Anzahl um 12,2 % zugenommen hatte, hat sich die Anstiegsrate jedoch halbiert.

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Employees are protected by statutory maternity leave provisions. Self-employed women currently do not have this protection.

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The more transparent universities are about their research and knowledge-transfer activities, the easier it is for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to find the right scientific expertise to help develop innovations.

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Are crises an opportunity for new areas of growth? Dr Markus Rieger-Fels, Prof. Dr. Prof. Dr. Michael Stephan, Prof. Dr. Torsten Wulf (both Philipps University of Marburg), Sina Lupp (Adolf Lupp GmbH+Co. KG), Sebastian Finck (Sparkasse Marburg-Biedenkopf) and Dr Jan Holthusen (DZ BANK AG) in …

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How do companies remain capable of acting even in difficult times? What characterizes resilient companies?

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In the first half of this year, start-up dynamics in Germany gained momentum: around 143,000 business start-ups were recorded, compared with 127,000 business closures.

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What opportunities does artificial intelligence offer Mittelstand enterprises – and what are the risks? Prof. Dr Dr h.c. Friederike Welter talked about this issue in early September at the Rhineland Savings Banks’ strategy conference in Bonn.

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In view of the many current challenges, the issue of "social and environmental responsibility" the issue of "social and environmental responsibility" seems to have been pushed into the background in many companies.

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Policy makers are seeking to promote the circular economy in Germany and across Europe in order to reduce dependence on exports of raw materials and intermediate products.

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How do academic spin-offs differ from start-ups in general? Dr Natalia Gorynia-Pfeffer and Julia Schauer explore this question in their Policy Brief using data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor.

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While some see self-employment as the solution to combining family and career, others see self-employment as a major burden on the family.

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Between 2014 and 2023, Chinese companies gained in importance, particularly for large enterprises in Germany.

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If no family member declares their willingness to take over the business, one option is to engage external management whilst the business remains family-owned.

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The number of new freelance businesses in Germany has risen from around 95,000 in 2024 to just over 111,000 in 2025. Berlin registered the highest number of new freelance businesses – followed by Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, Leipzig, Frankfurt and Düsseldorf.

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