IfM Bonn News

Participation in external events | 15.04.2025 Policy approaches to reduce bureaucratic burdens

IfM-Bonn research indicates that the optimal level of bureaucracy has been greatly exceeded. This applies not only to the time and cost requirements, but also to the psychological costs and the knock-on effects on investment and competitiveness.

Participation in external events | 14.04.2025 Influence of self-employed parents on their children

Children of self-employed parents are often self-employed later in life. Dr. Stefan Schneck presented this in his presentation at the EBES Conference in Rome in mid-April.

Press release | 09.04.2025 The federal government must now pave the way for the future

"According to a recent short survey, the vast majority of managing directors in Germany’s Mittelstand sector are calling on the new federal government to ensure reliable and consistent policy frameworks – and to refrain from excessive regulatory steering. This applies in particular to the ecological …

Press release | 08.04.2025 Less than half of all start-ups survive the first 5 years

Approximately 360,000 new enterprise were founded in Germany in 2024. It’s not just the number of start-ups that matters for an economy, but also their long-term survival.

Participation in external events | 07.04.2025 Quo vadis construction industry?

What future trends will the construction industry see? When will the upturn in construction come?

News & Updates | 03.04.2025 Boys’ Day at the IfM Bonn

What kind of jobs are at a research institute? How do the different departments work together? What qualifications are needed for the various profes-sions? The 14-year-old schoolboy Gabriel found answers to these questions on this year's Boys' Day at the Institut für Mittelstandsforschung Bonn.

Press release | 02.04.2025 The risk of insolvency was the highest in the transport and logistics sector in 2024

The risk of insolvency increased across most economic sectors in 2024, but the highest rate was in the transport and logistics sector: 14 out of 1,000 VAT-liable companies filed for insolvency.

External publications | 31.03.2025 Resilience of indebted companies to flooding

Is there a link between the level and due date of debts and the economic resilience of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Europe to flooding?

Press release | 27.03.2025 Bureaucracy costs are a considerable burden for smaller companies in the industrial SME sector

A follow-up study from the machinery and equipment manufacturing sector shows that the overall burden of regulation (including EU bureaucracy) is higher for small companies than the gross return on sales.

Press release | 25.03.2025 Artificial intelligence is increasingly gaining acceptance in small and medium-sized enterprise

The number of small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) using artificial intelligence (AI) procedures increased by 8 percentage points to 19% between 2023 and 2024.

Participation in external events | 24.03.2025 How bureaucracy can be reduced

Policymakers have initiated a number of measures in the past to reduce the bureaucratic burden on companies. Nevertheless, entrepreneurs perceive an increase in requirements.

Press release | 13.03.2025 More business start-ups than closures in the service sectors, fewer in trade and construction sector

Die Anzahl der Existenzgründungen überstieg in 2024 in den meisten Wirtschaftsabschnitten die Anzahl der Schließungen. Ein solch‘ positiver Saldo, der eine Zunahme im Unternehmensbestand anzeigt, war im vergangenen Jahr vor allem im Bereich der wissenschaftlichen, technischen und freiberuflichen …

External publications | 10.03.2025 SME Barometer: Growing gap between Germany and other EU countries

The current SME barometer of the IfM Bonn shows that the gap between the economic situation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Germany and in other EU countries grew significantly during 2024.

YouTube | 10.03.2025 IfM video "The current biggest challenges for Mittelstand companies"

What challenges do managers in medium-sized companies currently face and will they face in the future?

Press release | 05.03.2025 Women apply less often for loans or venture capital for their businesses than men

Young businesses exclusively managed by women apply more rarely for bank loans than those led by men or mixed-gender teams.