Publications
IfM Bonn publishes its research findings primarily in its publication series: study results are published as "IfM-Materials" - or in condensed form as a "Denkpapier" (summary). Statistical analyses and results appear in the series "Daten und Fakten". Discussion and technical papers from all research areas are published as "Working Papers".
In addition, until 2012 selected articles were published in the series "Schriften zur Mittelstandsforschung" (Gabler Verlag). Under the "External Publications" tab, you find numerous essays by IfM researchers that have appeared in (peer-reviewed) specialist journals and external publication series.
592 Results
External publication | 2026 Bureaucratic Burdens in Occupational Safety and Health – Experiences from the Mechanical and Plant Engineering Industry
The study analyses bureaucratic requirements in occupational safety and health within three companies in the mechanical and plant engineering sector.
IfM-Materialien | 2026 The dependence of the German Mittelstand on supplies from China
Political efforts to encourage companies to engage in a so-called de-risking with regard to Chinese suppliers have so far met with little success.
IfM-Materialien | 2026 Opportunities of artificial intelligence for addressing the shortage of skilled workers in the German Mittelstand
This study examines the contribution of AI for overcoming the shortage of skilled workers in the German Mittelstand. Therefore, case studies are utilized to identify drivers and barriers for a substitutive and complementary use of AI.
External publication | 2026 Report on Research, Innovation and Technological Performance in Germany 2026
The report 2026 provide a comprehensive analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the German innovation system in an international and temporal comparison.
Policy Brief "Entrepreneurship in Focus" | 2026 Vocational Qualifications in the Context of Innovation: Does Firm Size Matter
Vocational training is more than just a means of securing skilled workers—it also strengthens companies' innovative capacity.
External publication | 2026 Holding up the sky together? Family support dynamics and gender in entrepreneurship in China
Previous efforts to integrate culture and gender into a comprehensive theoretical framework for family support in entrepreneurship have fallen short.
External publication | 2026 In the eye of the storm: What makes entrepreneurs resilient?
Crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic confront companies with major challenges. If companies and especially entrepreneurs are not sufficiently resilient, this may have to give up.
External publication | 2026 Research Note: Succession dynamics are changing – New estimates from IfM Bonn on business succession in Germany
The IfM Bonn periodically estimates the number of expected business transfers since 1995.
Chartbooks | 2025 Future Panel Mittelstand 2025: Labour shortage and digital transformation continue to challenge SMEs
or the Future Panel Mittelstand 2025, researchers at IFM Bonn are once again surveyed entrepreneurs about the challenges of the future.
IfM-Materialien | 2025 Regulatory Framework Conditions for a Future-Oriented Mittelstand Policy
The framework conditions for the green transition should allow for individual, flexible solutions. In order not to place an excessive burden on Mittelstand enterprises, restrictive commands, prohibitions and reporting requirements should be avoided as far as possible.
External publication | 2025 Recalibrating Entrepreneurship Research: Decolonizing and Embracing the Pluralism of Entrepreneurial Activity
Entrepreneurship research has long focused on exceptional, high-growth, venture-funded firms while overlooking the everyday and modest ventures that make up most entrepreneurial activity.
Working Papers | 2025 Public childcare – its impact on gender equality in entrepreneurship revisited
The paper at hand analyzes the impact of public childcare provision on start-up rates of women and men in Germany based on public statistical data covering the years 2012 to 2018.
Facts and figures | 2025 Business successions in Germany 2026 to 2030
There are no official statistics that provide reliable information on succession events.
External publication | 2025 Contextualizing the Canon: Sociohistorical Change and the Future of Entrepreneurship Research
In this paper, the authors examine canonical studies of entrepreneurship since the mid-19th century ...
Chartbooks | 2025 Self-employed women becoming mother - The consequences for their employment
The birth of a child represents a signicant break in the employment history not only of paid employed women but also of self-employed women.
Policy Brief "Entrepreneurship in Focus" | 2025 Local Entrepreneurship Helps Places Bounce Back After Extreme Weather Shocks
The presence of entrepreneurial organizations in an economy is associated with greater regional resilience to external shocks. Why?
External publication | 2025 Silicon Valley entrepreneurship: Reflection on a popular myth
Silicon Valley entrepreneurship is regarded as a model for regionally concentrated and globally successful high-tech entrepreneurship.
Policy Brief "Entrepreneurship in Focus" | 2025 Psychological costs as a key factor in the bureaucratic burden on businesses
Compliance costs measured in terms of time and financial resources significantly underestimate the bureaucratic burden on companies.
External publication | 2025 Interference in children’s affairs An exploratory study about the role of self-employed parents
The literature on entrepreneurship suggests that children of self-employed parents are more likely to become self-employed themselves due to parental role models and socialisation.
External publication | 2025 Business succession in Germany: The role of women-led businsses
In Germany, around 38,000 owner-managed businesses are up for succession every year.