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IfM Bonn News

Participation in external events Presentation of the succession estimate to the Federal-State Committee for the Mittelstand

"The decline in profitability that many businesses have suffered in recent years has led to the number of business transfers currently stagnating," reported Dr Rosemarie Kay in mid-March at the Federal-State Committee for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses in Wiesbaden.

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Participation in external events Female entrepreneurs more rarely apply for loans

Women are more rarely applying for bank loans for their businesses than men or mixed-gender teams. "The reason for this is not that they find it harder to obtain bank loans.

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Podcasts The green transition is only possible with the right balance

In view of the geopolitical challenges, small and medium-sized enterprises in Germany seem unable to emerge from crisis mode. In addition, companies are faced with the task of mastering the ecological transition.

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IfM Publications How Artificial intelligence is changing the demand for skilled workers

In tax consultancy firms, artificial intelligence (AI) is used to automate routine tasks such as bookkeeping and document processing. Some painting firms are using robots for standardised tasks, such as priming large surfaces.

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Participation in external events IfM researchers presented their research

Could artificial intelligence help mitigate the shortage of skilled workers in companies?

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IfM Publications Female, self-employed and mother

Although half of all working people in Germany are women, the proportion of self-employed women has stagnated at just over a third for years.

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Press release Higher turnover and profits in SMEs at the end of 2025

At the end of 2025, turnover and profits of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have increased. By contrast, investment activity, which had increased over the course of 2025, showed a slight decline towards the year-end.

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Guests at the IfM Pragmatic implementation in SMEs

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) often use informal implementation strategies to comply with legal requirements. According to Professor Christian Hauser (University of Applied Sciences of the Graubünden), this should also be taken into account in scientific studies.

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Participation in external events The move towards faster building permit procedures

How can commercial building permit procedures be simplified and accelerated? Michael Holz gave answers to this question from a scientific perspective at the end of February during an exchange of experiences at the Siegen Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

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External publications Self-employment leads to tensions in intimate relationships

Having a self-employed partner is associated with a higher frequency of disagreements and quarrels in relationships. The reason: Self-employed individuals do not only make professional decisions, but also interfere in their partners' private decisions.

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Press release SMEs in Germany are becoming more digital and AI-friendly

Digital transformation is advancing in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Germany: More than a third of SMEs had a "high" to "very high" level of digital intensity in 2025.

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Press release EFI report 2026 handed over to Chancellor Friederich Merz

The Expert Commission for Research and Innovation (EFI), including IfM President Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Friederike Welter, today presented its new annual report to Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

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Participation in external events IfM President is 2026 DG Grow Fellow

The DG GROW Fellowship Year 2026 started with a kick-off meeting at the beginning of February.

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Guests at the IfM Supporting innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises

How can innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises be effectively supported? How can the digital transformation be brought to the attention of particularly small businesses?

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Participation in external events What promotes regional university spin-offs

How should university spin-offs interact with key players in their region in order to gain access to important resources and knowledge? How can they generate business growth at the same time? Dr Julia Mokhtar and Assoc. Prof. Dr Mirjam Knockaert examined these questions during a workshop held by the …

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