Press releases

Press release | 12.12.2022 Krisenerfahrung kann das Baugewerbe für die bevorstehenden Herausforderungen stärken

Die wirtschaftlichen Folgen des russischen Angriffskrieges gegen die Ukraine und der Energiepreiskrise treffen das Baugewerbe aktuell sehr stark. Die Bauwirtschaft hat bislang wenige Krisen von einer solchen Dimension meistern müssen.

Press release | 08.12.2022 Many hybrid self-employed benefit from their permanent employment

Most hybrid self-employed (90 %) focus their work on a dependent activity – for nearly every ten hybrid self-employed, self-employment is the primary activity. "The majority of hybrid self-employed is probably able to make sufficient provisions for their old age," reports IfM researcher Dr Olivier …

Press release | 29.11.2022 Companies with real estate and in the liberal professions achieve the highest disposal assets profits

In the liberal professions, the average disposal asset profit has risen continuously since 2001. The positive trend in agriculture and forestry began after the global financial and economic crisis in 2010.

Press release | 09.11.2022 Government measures aided Mittelstand companies in the COVID-19 crisis

Kleine und mittlere Unternehmen (KMU) sowie Familienunternehmen – auch als Mittelstand bezeichnet – waren insgesamt wirtschaftlich stärker von der Corona-Krise betroffen als große und nicht-mittelständische Unternehmen.

Press release | 07.11.2022 Mittelstand Future Panel: skilled workers shortage remains most significant challenge

Mittelstand company managers have named the increasing shortage of skilled workers as their biggest challenge for the second year running, followed by "climate change and sustainability", "energy supply and security", "digitalisation", and "inflation/crises".

Press release | 21.10.2022 Munich district remains at the top

Once again, the district of Munich seems to be the most attractive place to set up a business or move a company there in 2021, according to the current NUI (New Entrepreneurial Initiative) region ranking. The city of Baden-Baden comes in second place, followed by the district of Miesbach, and the …

Press release | 11.10.2022 The ecological transformation will not succeed without small and medium-sized enterprises

"Small and medium-sized enterprises play an important part in the ecological transformation. Many of them are already investing in sustainable technologies and in renewable energies," explained Parliamentary State Secretary Michael Kellner at the opening of the International Roundtable on SMEs in …

Press release | 06.09.2022 There is no silver bullet for strengthening regional propensity to start a business

Successful start-up ecosystems are characterised by a good transport and telecommunications infrastructure, a high population density, a high proportion of foreign citizens, and numerous qualified employees. IfM Bonn researchers found this out and published results in their study: "Start-up activity …

Press release | 10.08.2022 German Federal Government appoints Friederike Welter and Guido Bünstorf to the Commission of Experts for Research and Innovation (EFI)

Today, the German Federal Government appointed Prof Dr Friederike Welter (IfM Bonn/University of Siegen) and Prof Dr Guido Bünstorf (University of Kassel) to the Commission of Experts for Research and Innovation (EFI). Bünstorf and Welter strengthen EFI's competence, especially in regard to …

Press release | 25.07.2022 In the pandemic year 2020, SMEs assert their economic importance

Calculating based on the European Commission's definition of SMEs, there were around 3.35 million SMEs in Germany in 2020. That makes 99.3% of all companies in the private sector.

Press release | 12.07.2022 There are more hybrid self-employed entrepreneurs than previously assumed

Both the total number of hybrid self-employed entrepreneurs as well as their share of the workforce increased significantly since 2001. In 2001, there were 2.46 million hybrid self-employed entrepreneurs registered. In 2016, this number had increased to 3.39 million. By 2016, their number had also …

Press release | 02.06.2022 Digitisation in SMEs is progressing very slowly

The proportion of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with online sales of at least one per cent of total turnover has risen by two percentage points compared to 2020 (2021: 19 %).

Press release | 16.05.2022 Der Mittelstand nimmt eine wichtige Rolle bei der Regionalentwicklung ein

Während der Corona-Pandemie wirkte der Mittelstand stabilisierend auf die Gesellschaft und die Wirtschaft: Viele mittelständische Unternehmen suchten ihre Beschäftigten trotz ökonomischer Schwierigkeiten zu halten und entwickelten in kürzester Zeit alternative Geschäftsmodelle.

Press release | 13.05.2022 Staatliche Unterstützungsmaßnahmen können nicht jedes Unternehmensrisiko abfedern

Sollten im Zuge des Kriegs in der Ukraine staatliche Unterstützungsprogramme für den Mittelstand erforderlich sein, sollten diese nach Ansicht der Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler des IfM Bonn berücksichtigen, ob die Notlage der Unternehmen auf einer existenzgefährdenden Ausnahmesituation …

Press release | 05.05.2022 Researchers find no negative consequences for construction projects despite a high number of future business closures in the construction industry

Every second owner of a business in the construction industry will retire in the next 10 years; that is, 163,000 companies. This is a key finding of the study "Company Succession in the Construction Industry" published today by the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and …