Insights & Perspectives

Is this impression misleading, or are strikes becoming more common? Which industries are hardest hit? And how well prepared are medium-sized companies? “In my experience, not well at all,” reports Thomas Wahlig, specialist lawyer for labor law, “but the unions are just as bad.” This could make companies vulnerable to blackmail very suddenly. And this at a time when German SMEs are in the midst of an unprecedented wave of restructuring. Thomas Wahlig is a partner at Pusch Wahlig Workplace Law and specializes in collective bargaining and works constitution law, particularly restructuring. He says that companies planning restructuring should check their strike resistance very carefully in advance. How? With due diligence. We interviewed him.

Supply chain problems? This phrase is likely to remind many people of the coronavirus pandemic. Back then, it was primarily disrupted transport routes and production losses in the Far East that caused problems for German car manufacturers in particular. This time, it is the volatile situation in the supply industry. enomyc author Wolfram W. Hackbarth explains why their sandwich position is so dangerous for large suppliers and how manufacturers and large suppliers can take advantage of the wave of consolidation.

German car manufacturers built a good four million cars last year. More than twice as many, namely almost ten million vehicles, rolled off the production line at foreign locations. Against the backdrop of high energy and personnel costs, but also due to increasing competitive pressure in the industry, plant and engineering relocations will continue to be an important strategic option in the future. The success of these measures stands and falls with professional planning and implementation - especially when external service providers and consultants are involved. enomyc author Wolfram Hackbarth explains what is important here.

The decision is final: as of late October, the EU has imposed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. The reasoning? Excessive subsidies and unfair competition from China. Brussels has taken decisive action, despite strong warnings from the German automotive industry. Will the sector now face significant price increases and potential retaliatory measures from China? Could the demand for EVs be further suppressed due to these tariffs? And what impact might these measures have on Germany’s capacity for innovation? In this expert interview, we explore the scenarios currently under discussion in the German automotive and supplier industries.

Im Zusammenhang mit Restrukturierungen ist immer öfter von sogenannten Loan-to-own-Transaktionen die Rede. Bei dem ursprünglich aus den USA stammenden Modell kaufen insbesondere Finanzinvestoren gezielt Forderungen gegen Schuldnerunternehmen auf, um diese in vorinsolvenzlichen Sanierungsverhandlungen oder im Rahmen eines Insolvenzverfahrens zu übernehmen. enomyc-Autor Alexander Neumann erklärt, welche Rolle das Instrument auf dem deutschen Markt spielt, welche Vorteile solche Transaktionen für Banken und Investoren – und gegebenenfalls die betroffenen Unternehmer – haben und was dabei zu beachten ist.

In the first part of his guide to crisis prevention , enomyc author Jan-Ulrik Holsten outlined the patterns that many corporate crises follow and the hurdles that need to be cleared for effective prevention. A significant challenge lies in turning data into actionable insights. In the second installment, he delves into this process, using early risk detection systems as an example to demonstrate their pivotal role in overcoming this barrier.

Hydrogen is considered one of the key energy carriers in the effort to transform industry and transportation sectors to be climate-neutral. According to the German government's National Hydrogen Strategy, ten gigawatts of electrolysis capacity are expected to be built in Germany alone by 2030. This would meet one-third to one-half of the domestic demand and require an almost unprecedented scaling of current capacities. While many view this plan as completely unrealistic, enomyc author Wolfram Hackbarth sees opportunities. The industrial production of the stacks required for this is highly complex, but thanks to digitalization and Industry 4.0, it can still be economically viable—even in high-wage countries.

Leasing-Bike statt Dienstwagen, E-Bike-T our statt Kreuzfahrt, SUB statt SUV: Fahrradfahren ist Lifestyle und der liegt ungebrochen im Trend. Ein Blick in die Booths der EUROBIKE 2024 zeigt: Die Fahrräder der Zukunft sind noch leichter, noch smarter, noch stylischer – vor allem aber elektrifizierter und reichweitenstärker. Zum ersten Mal wurden 2023 mehr E-Bikes als mechanische Fahrräder verkauft. Und auch die Finanzierungsmöglichkeiten haben sich erweitert: Bike-Leasing und Bike-Sharing sind längst etabliert. Dennoch: Seit vielen Jahren folgen in der Branche Berg- auf Talfahrten – und das oft dicht an dicht. Während es aktuell im High End- und Lifestyle-Segment richtig gut läuft, kämpft der Handel insgesamt mit massiven Preisschlachten, Personalabbau, sogar Schließungen. Warum? Wie geht Innovation in unsicheren Zeiten? Und was lehrt uns der Case ROSE Bikes – wirtschaftlich und auch persönlich? Ein Experteninterview mit Dr. Stefan Frings.

At first glance, the German MedTech industry seems to be doing well. It appears resilient in crises, innovative, strong in exports, and optimistic. However, on a global scale, its business growth seems to have slowed. What’s troubling the MedTech industry? How is its innovative strength holding up? And what about its future? enomyc, in collaboration with the German industry association SPECTARIS, which focuses on optics, photonics, analytical, and medical technology, surveyed over 40 companies in the industry. In this expert interview with Christian Zeller, we explore the sentiment, strengths, and levers of the German MedTech industry.