In the past, the German “Mittelstand” businesses has proven to be stabilizing in times of crisis, due to their stronger long-term orientation compared to management-led companies, but also due to their overall lower dependence on foreign markets. But the current crisis is different from the previous ones. The author explain in this background-paper what can be done to support SMEs in such a way that they can contribute to maintaining economic cycles during and after the corona pandemic.
IfM-Background-Paper | 2020 Preliminary assessments of the IfM Bonn on the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the “Mittelstand” businesses in Germany
Welter, F.; Wolter, H.-J., Kranzusch, P. (2020): Vorläufige Einschätzungen des IfM Bonn zu den wirtschaftlichen Auswirkungen der Coronaviruspandemie auf den Mittelstand, IfM Bonn: IfM-Hintergrundpapier, Bonn.