Insights & Perspectives

Especially in economically challenging times, M&A transactions offer a powerful opportunity for companies to drive strategic development. Whether a deal ultimately succeeds depends on a wide range of factors – and one of the most decisive is thorough preparation. In this best practices series, our M&A specialists Dr. Tim Bauer and Janina Buchholz explore the key prerequisites for a successful transaction.

The wind energy market in Germany is racing from one record to the next. Never before have so many permits for new turbines been issued as last year. Almost a third of electricity is now generated by wind power. Nevertheless, the industry is not a sure-fire success. This is not only because the market is often as volatile as the winds that blow. Growing competition from Asia is also putting pressure on companies. In their article, enomyc authors Dr. Stefan Frings and Viola Damberg take a look at the most important current developments and outline how suppliers can best equip themselves for the increasingly harsh winds of competition.

From controlling at a renowned state bank to working in an internationally operating SME and finally to management consulting: Jonas Keppler has already sat on many chairs. What all stages have in common: his passion for numbers. Which restructuring case does he consider the most exciting of all time? How can CFOs and controllers be convinced to use AI? And with which guiding questions does he inspire medium-sized companies to think big? A conversation with Jonas Keppler – about numbers, impact, and perspective.

Der Markt für Künstliche Intelligenz (KI) boomt. Immer mehr Anbieter preisen ihre Lösungen an. Doch bei genauer Betrachtung entpuppt sich so manche vermeintlich intelligente Neuigkeit als Mogelpackung, schließlich lässt sich allein mit dem Label „Künstliche Intelligenz“ ordentlich Geld verdienen. Mittelständische Unternehmen stehen dadurch oft vor einem Dilemma: Einerseits möchten sie KI-Lösungen einführen, um beispielsweise von Effizienzsteigerungen zu profitieren, andererseits ist die Auswahl von Tools aufwändig und bleibt oft ohne Ergebnis. In ihrem Beitrag erklären die enomyc-Autoren Carla Dausend und Leonard Rampf, welche Fehler Unternehmen vermeiden sollten und was beim Einstieg ins Thema zu beachten ist.

US corporations such as Amazon and Walmart want to revolutionize the payment system. According to recent reports, they are working on minting their own digital currencies –Stablecoins. These promise faster payment processing, lower transaction costs, and complete control over payment flows. This is reason enough for German SMEs to take a closer look at the technology, say Franz Wenzel, Stella Weisser, and Tom Agsten from enomyc. The three have been working on blockchain and crypto topics for a long time and were on site at the Berlin Blockchain Week 2025 (BBW) to discuss and interact with other teams about the current trends and applications. In this article, they explain what is behind this trend toward digital payments—and how blockchain, Web3, and digital currencies is being translated into real business models.

It is not only consumers who research product features, prices, and customer reviews online before making a purchase; SMEs have long been doing the same. The information monopoly that salespeople once enjoyed has given way to digital transparency. This has many advantages for buyers, but it also forces suppliers who want to grow to revamp their sales processes. enomyc author Jan-Ulrik explains how the role of sales must change and what contribution it must make to successful customer acquisition.

For a long time, the battery market was considered a prime example of a sustainable industry in Europe. The demand for e-mobility, energy storage, and smart devices seemed limitless—as did the growth forecasts. Start-ups such as Northvolt and Britishvolt made headlines, major car manufacturers established their own battery subsidiaries, and subsidies flowed freely. Since then, the mood has changed noticeably: where there was once euphoria, disillusionment is now spreading, and many highly publicized projects have long since fallen victim to budget cuts. enomyc experts Dr. Stefan Frings and Robert Schröder explain what needs to happen for Europe's battery vision to become a reality after all.

With his “tariff hammer” announced a few days ago, US President Donald Trump has exceeded even the worst fears regarding his trade policy. Even though he has since backtracked somewhat, experts fear a global recession if the measures are implemented as announced. One thing is clear: German SMEs that sell their products all over the world will also suffer from the high tariffs. This is a good opportunity to further enhance your own competitiveness, says enomyc author Jan Ulrik Holsten. In part 2 of his “Trump 2.0” article, he explains what companies can do to optimally prepare themselves now.

The re-election of Donald Trump as US president and the associated announcements, some of which are drastic, pose major challenges for German SMEs. While the global world order is being torn apart by agreements between Trump and Putin to end the war in Ukraine and the relativization of NATO's alliance commitments by his “vice president,” the economic consequences of planned or already implemented measures for German SMEs are coming into sharper focus. Despite all the justified fears, enomyc author Jan-Ulrik Holsten is convinced that those who set the right course now will not only be able to avert damage, but also focus on new opportunities.