Artikel zu: Regions

Factoring costs alone are not very meaningful—in practice, no factoring company charges only the factoring fee. Factoring costs generally consist of several components. Anyone wishing to compare offers should therefore take a close look at the factoring fee, the interest rate, and any additional fees. The key factor for...

The major economic research institutes have recently revised their forecasts for the current year upward, and the financial markets, too, appear to be pricing in the recovery. But if you shift your focus from the macro level to individual businesses, you’ll notice a sobering discrepancy: German small and medium-sized...

If a customer files for bankruptcy, the appointed bankruptcy trustee can challenge and reclaim payments made previously—in the worst-case scenario, amounts running into the millions. What is contestation insurance? If your customer files for bankruptcy, the appointed bankruptcy trustee has the option to challenge and reclaim payments previously made...

The global energy transition is not only transforming our power grids and propulsion technologies—it is also triggering one of the most profound upheavals in the commodities markets in the coming years. Copper, nickel, and aluminum—the classic industrial metals—are taking center stage: By 2035, structural supply shortages could emerge that...

The global energy transition is not only transforming our power grids and propulsion technologies—it is also triggering one of the most profound upheavals in the commodities markets in the coming years. Copper, nickel, and aluminum—the classic industrial metals—are taking center stage: By 2035, structural supply shortages could emerge that...

This summer, Europe is experiencing historically low water levels on two of its most important rivers: the Rhine and the Danube. The consequences are severe—not only for the environment, but above all for the European economy. Inland waterway transport, a central pillar of logistics in Germany, Romania, and other...

In 2025, Germany set a dismal record: more companies went out of business than at any time in nearly two decades. This was reported by *Manager Magazin*, among others. But the crisis isn’t limited to financially struggling firms—even healthy companies are being forced to cease operations. The reasons? High...

The Handelsblatt reports that most small and medium-sized enterprises have experimented with AI over the past two years. They have launched pilot projects, defined use cases, and evaluated tools. And yet one sober observation remains: Operations have not changed significantly. Not because the technology has failed, but because it...

Despite the ongoing pressures caused by the conflict in the Middle East and rising energy prices, the German economy proved to be surprisingly resilient in 2026. Gross domestic product (GDP) rose by 0.2 percent in the second quarter of 2026 compared with the previous quarter, after adjusting for prices,...

Flooding is no longer just an environmental problem, but a serious threat to Germany’s economic stability. A recent study by Allianz Trade shows that a severe flood in 2027 could reduce Germany’s economic output by up to 108 billion euros over the following three years. At the same time,...