Germany's Transformation: Competitiveness at a Crossroads
Germany’s export-driven model faces existential pressure. The investment gap widens. Competitiveness is falling. The window for decisive action is open, the time to act is now.
An independent platform for leaders from business, politics, academia and civil society – who want to shape Germany's transformation together.
Current Perspectives
Current voices from experts, research findings and essential reading from curated German and international media.
Foreign Direct Investment Flows and Deindustrialisation
While other EU member states recorded an investment boom in 2023, capital was retreating from Germany. The IW Cologne analysis shows: the net outflows are not a one-off anomaly – they are a structural warning signal.
Handelsblatt
Germany's economic weakness stems from structural problems such as bureaucracy, high costs, and a tax system that discourages productivity, and calls for appropriate reforms rather than new debt.
April 30, 2026
ReadGermany's competitiveness continues to decline to
Four Areas for Action
The critical areas where debate must lead to decisions.
Global competitiveness
- Since 2015, Germany has dropped nine places in the competitiveness ranking (IMD 2025). No other G7 country has fallen as far over the same period.
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Which environmental conditions need to change – and who makes these decisions?
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Technological innovation
- The United States invests eight times more risk capital than Germany (IMF 2025). Those who do not finance the industries of tomorrow will not lead them.
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How can Germany stop administering transformation – and start embracing it?
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Energy costs & competitiveness
- For every euro spent on industrial electricity in France, a German company pays almost double (vbw/FfE 2025).
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Competitive energy is not a climate question - When will it be treated as one?
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Skilled labour
- 20 million people will retire by 2035, 12.5 million will enter the workforce (IAB 2025). This gap cannot be argued away – only managed.
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When will Germany act on immigration, education, and automation?
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