IfM Bonn News

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" has taken a step back 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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The number of importing companies located in Germany rose in 2024 compared with 2023 (851,000 companies): Around 873,000 companies imported raw materials and goods. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) accounted for the vast majority of importers, at 98.3 per cent.

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The Entrepreneurship Division of the Academy of Management honoured Prof. Dr Dr h.c. Friederike Welter with the 2026 Dedication to Entrepreneurship Award last week at the Academy of Management’s annual conference in Philadelphia.

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Bonn, 04.08.2026. Nachdem sich die Kennzahlen für Umsatz und Gewinn bei den kleinen und mittleren Unternehmen (KMU) zu Beginn des Jahres 2026 verschlechtert hatten, zeigte sich im zweiten Quartal dieses Jahres sowohl in Deutschland als auch im Euroraum wieder eine deutliche Verbesserung bei Umsatz …

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What role do free markets play in the social market economy? Prof. Dr Dr h.c. Friederike Welter and Gitta Connemann, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and the Federal Government Commissioner for the Mittelstand Enterprises, discussed this question in mid-July at a debate organised by the Bonn …

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Many (smaller) companies are still reluctant to make use of public innovation funding. According to a literature review by Dr Siegrun Brink, this is less due to the funding on offer and more to the differing structural and procedural conditions at the level of the companies and the funding …

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The members of the Enquete Commission on "Reviewing the COVID-19 Pandemic and Lessons for Future Pandemic Events" gathered information in early July on the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and the effectiveness of the support measures for various sectors in the Bundestag.

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How has self-employment changed since 1945? And how has been the socio-demographic composition of the self-employed developed?

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