IfM Bonn News

Awards | 27.11.2023 IfM President appointed to the Ludwig Erhard Foundation

Prof Dr Dr h.c. Friederike Welter (IfM Bonn/University of Siegen) has been appointed as a member of the Ludwig Erhard Foundation. The foundation promotes regulatory principles in politics, business and society and manages Ludwig Erhard's archive.

Press release | 22.11.2023 Doing business under difficult conditions

"We are focusing on the reduction of administrative burdens for businesses. Cutting red tape is especially important for SMEs. They have limited time and resources compared to larger companies when it comes to the fulfillment of information- or reporting requirements.

Participation in external events | 21.11.2023 What motivates adolescents to start a business?

How and why do adolescents start a business? Dr Jonas Löher gave answers to this question in his presentation "The Motivational Background of Teenpreneurs: The Case of Germany" at this year's "Research in Entrepreneurship and Small Business" (RENT) conference.

Press release | 20.11.2023 INSM study: Bureaucracy is becoming a brake on growth / 58 per cent of companies want to invest less due to bureaucracy

A recent study conducted by the Institut für Mittelstandsforschung (IfM) in Bonn on behalf of the New Social Market Economy Initiative (INSM) shows that the burden of bureaucracy has now become a key obstacle to investment. Most companies are investing less in Germany because of bureaucracy.

Podcasts | 20.11.2023 New IfM podcast "Fit for change?"

The COVID-19 pandemic challenged companies first, followed by the economic consequences of Russia's war against Ukraine in February 2022. The Mittelstand enterprises are also faced with the task of pushing ahead with both the Digital and Ecological Transformation.

Participation in external events | 15.11.2023 The way to sustainable entrepreneurship

What aspects need to be considered at the European Union level concerning the target of sustainable entrepreneurship? How far does the European Commission's SME relief package already offer concrete approaches?

Guests at the IfM | 07.11.2023 Popularity in the entrepreneurial world

Dr. Simone Schmid (University of Siegen) presented initial research findings on the perception and relevance of popularity from an entrepreneurial perspective at the IfM Forum at the beginning of November.

IfM Publications | 31.10.2023 Changing payment for labour due to the online gig economy

In traditional labour markets, higher education usually leads to higher pay - but not in the online gig economy.

Participation in external events | 31.10.2023 Bureaucracy reduction needs a new legal culture

How can bureaucracy be noticeably reduced for companies? Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Friederike Welter discussed this question at the 6th Regulatory Policy Colloquium of the Impulsstiftung in Eltville at the end of October.

Press release | 25.10.2023 Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) remain an important economic sector in Germany

Nearly 3.4 million companies in Germany are classified as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) according to the European Commission's definition of SMEs. This is more than 99 % of all companies in the business sector. With more than 2.4 trillion euros, SMEs generated more than 31 % of the total …

Press release | 17.10.2023 What small and medium-sized enterprises need now

"In the current situation, SMEs need good and reliable framework conditions to play to their strengths again in (global) competition – and no sectoral and size-related support measures. The support measures would only cement the obsolete image of SMEs that cannot master economically difficult times …

Participation in external events | 04.10.2023 IfM-researchers at the G-Forum

Dr Rosemarie Kay presented two papers at this year's Interdisciplinary Annual Conference on Entrepreneurship, Innovation and SMEs (G-Forum) in Darmstadt end of September.

IfM Publications | 02.10.2023 How useful is the mandatory provision for founders?

The federal government plans to introduce a mandatory old-age provision for new self-employed people not yet insured in existing old-age provision systems. But how many founders would benefit from this mandatory requirement?

Das Bild zeigt einen Schreiner bei der Arbeit

Participation in external events | 26.09.2023 Things that make entrepreneurs resilient

Many entrepreneurs currently feel challenged by the actual situation. Dr Siegrun Brink pointed out what is significant for resilient entrepreneurs in her presentation at the XXII. Conference for Applied Social Sciences in mid-September.

Finger drückt auf Computertastatur auf die Taste "Mittelstand"

Participation in external events | 25.09.2023 Research-based recommendations for policy at the Bund-Länder Committee on Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

Despite an increase in the number of self-employed women, the gender gap among the self-employed has hardly narrowed. At the Federal-Länder Committee on Small and Medium-Sized Business in Hamburg, Dr Rosemarie Kay presented reasons for the persistent underrepresentation of women.