Skilled worker shortage is becoming a more significant challenge for entrepreneurs. Mittelstand companies named demographic development with all its consequences as the current TOP challenge per the Future Panel of the Mittelstand survey for the third time in a row. The challenges of "increased competitive pressure" and "energy supply/security" trail in second and third place.
Entrepreneurs had a chance to indicate which challenges they expect to face at present and in the future during the 2023 Future Panel of the Mittelstand survey. More than 1,100 managers in Germany participated in the survey. The results showed that "internationalisation" and "corporate financing" have lost importance.
On the other hand, entrepreneurs are facing the obstacle of absorbing rising wage, material and energy costs. Therefore, a third of managers feared their company would become noncompetitive. Comparatively, a year ago, the challenge of "increased competitive pressure" was still in 7th place compared with 2021, which was in 3rd place. Regulatory requirements also remain an ongoing issue. Not only are official requirements or certification requirements criticised but also increasingly climate-specific requirements. In contrast, "digitalisation" has lost importance compared to the two previous surveys.
