INTO GERMANY! The German Business Podcast

How can Germany remain an attractive destination for international business expansions? Martin Blessing, Chancellor Friedrich Merz’ point man on investments and foreign business expansions explains how the country is positioning itself in a changing global economy, and why Germany is still central for companies looking to scale up in Europe. Germany is adapting its investment strategy in response...

Artificial intelligence has changed the way companies work, and now a new phase is emerging. Whereas earlier systems could only respond to prompts, Agentic AI is designed to handle entire workflows. For companies, the shift is profound, as it promises greater efficiency, faster decision-making and entirely new ways of structuring work. At the same time, it raises important questions around control...

Germany’s space sector is booming, as commercial players increasingly shape what was once a purely state-driven domain. From satellite manufacturing and Earth observation to reusable spacecraft and green propulsion systems, German-based companies are helping make space more accessible, sustainable and economically viable. Supported by strong public-private partnerships, generous funding schemes an...

2025 was a year of course alignment for the German economy. Conservative Friedrich Merz became Germany’s chancellor after snap elections, and his new coalition government immediately signaled that investment, reform and pro-business policies would be its priorities. We review pivotal economic and business developments of 2025 – from government measures supporting industry and startups to internati...

Germany’s start-up sector is regaining momentum – thanks to a dynamic ecosystem shaped by entrepreneurial spirit, government support and strong industry clusters, ranging from Berlin’s vibrant tech scene to regional hubs throughout the country. Initiatives such as the de:hub network are connecting founders with established players, while new legislation aims to make investment easier and reduce bu...

Offshore wind currently produces around 6% of all electricity fed into Germany's public grid, but by 2045, that figure will need to be quadrupled. It’s a heady but achievable challenge. What started out 15 years ago as a couple of experimental facilities is now a major pillar of Germany’s conversion to renewable energy. We look back and ahead at the biggest changes, challenges, and innovations – a...

On April 6, 2025, conservative Friedrich Merz was sworn in as Germany’s tenth chancellor. He leads a coalition of his center-right CDU_CSU alliance with the center-left SPD, two rivals united by a 144-page coalition agreement. Its top focus? Business, growth and competitiveness. What opportunities does this political shift offer for international companies looking to invest or expand in Germany? W...

The foremost challenge for entrepreneurs and start-ups with potentially game-changing ideas is getting financial support for ideas and business concepts that, by definition, are completely untried. Germany recognizes the dilemma and has set up a government agency, called SPRIND (www.sprind.org), to assist the most audacious of innovations. We talk to SPRIND’s innovation manager and an agency-suppo...

Germany has long been an innovator in truck manufacturing and is leading the way on the next generation of electric drive solutions. Though still in its early stage, logistics is shifting gears, and registration figures for electric trucks in Germany are twice as high as the EU average. From 2021 to 2023, the number of e-powered vehicles on German roads almost doubled. But what still needs to chan...

R&D in Germany has a long tradition. Its prestigious research institutes are known across the world. And no other European country invests more money in research and development – around 130 billion euros across all sectors in the last year for which figures are available. But part of Germany’s strength is its relatively decentralized, bottom-up orientation. A leader from Germany’s Ministry of Edu...

GDP may have stagnated, foreign direct investment continued apace in Europe’s largest economy. 2024 was a banner year for German pharma and artificial intelligence. The world’s largest IT companies invested heavily in data centers, and the government further relaxed entry regulations for international professionals with sought-after skills and launched massive infrastructure projects to provide th...

Germans may have taken a while to get used to cashless payment systems and other fintech applications, but they’re now rapidly becoming standard in both B2B and B2C. Where are the greatest opportunities and what does the future ho0ld in store? We speak to the head of Berlin’s new fintech hub and the strategy guru at a French neobank that has branched out to Germany. Our guests: Sebastian Schäfer i...

The German vegan and vegetarian movement goes back to the nineteenth century, but this lifestyle and nutrition choice has never been so popular. More than a third of Germans opt for a plant-based diet. The German plant-based retail market has been valued at around €1.9 billion, making it the biggest in Europe. We talk to two up-and-coming companies and the head of a leading pro-meatless advocacy g...

Germany remains a pioneer when it comes to self-driving cars. Europe’s automotive heartland is the first country in the world to pass nationwide regulations for level-4 autonomous vehicles. International businesses that expand to Germany will find top-class research facilities, a well-trained and innovative workforce and an open-minded car culture! Our guests: Yang Ji is founder and CEO of LiangDa...

Green hydrogen is a key part of Germany’s drive to decarbonize industry and transition to clean energy. To that end, the country is establishing a core network, spanning 10,000 kilometers all across Europe’s largest economy. What are challenges faced by the new distribution grid? How many of the old natural-gas pipelines can be repurposed? How much new construction is needed. Germany’s biggest gas...

Germany is setting record upon record for renewable electricity, but the hardware used to generate that energy is not built for the ages. What to do with all the outdated and decommissioned equipment? We talk to an innovative French company that’s brought its solutions to Germany and to a German industry association that aims to convert the wind energy sector into a circular economy.   Our Guests:...

Food, accessories, services, tech gadgets - the house pet market is huge and diverse. The number of pets in Germany has been growing for years, and so has the amount Germans are willing spend on the welfare of their animal loved ones. And the outlook for the future is top dog! So what are the particulars of Germans’ relationships with their pets? We talk to a Swedish pet insurance company that has...

Intel, TSMC and Tesla are just three of the commercial giants that are increasing their business by expanding to the eastern part of Germany. Unlike former spurts of investment in the regions that used to be Communist East Germany, growth this time around seems more organic and likely to last. Indeed, it’s no exaggeration to say that the economic map of Germany is being redrawn. We speak to an exp...

The costs of converting Germany's power supply infrastructure to renewably generated electricity is enormous. Some skeptics fear the high cost of the transition will frighten off international companies. But there is also a case that with increasing numbers of firms committed to carbon-neutral production, Germany's green energy grids will soon a powerful argument for them to do business there. Our...

In late 2023, American pharma giant Eli Lilly and Company announced plans to build a $2.5 billion production facility in western Germany. It’s one of the largest investments in the sector ever. The plant will at first produce its new tirzepatide drugs for diabetes and obesity. Demand is expected to soar. The major expansion comes as Berlin is reforming the rules governing German pharma, with a key...

Germany’s GDP growth has slowed recently, and the number of FDI projects are slightly lower, but the country’s long-term stability and even its transition to sustainable industry are still attracting big projects in critical sectors as pharma, microchips and battery production. Eli Lilly and Company, Intel and Northvolt are just some of companies pushing ahead with gigantic endeavors in Germany. B...

As Germany’s median age rises, new opportunities are opening the med-tech sector, for instance in the area of physiotherapy. At the same time, “silver agers” determined to remain active and fit in their later years is configuring the market for fitness clubs and service. There’s plenty of room in industry for international players. Our Guests: Davide Ferrario and Marco Sauer are with Movendo Techn...

Germany is aiming to become climate-neutral by 2045 – to help combat climate change but also to become more resilient in its energy supply. Russia’s war oin Ukraine highlighted an aspect of energy provision most people had previously ignored: storage. As renewables take over an increasing share of the powermix in Germany, opportunites are being created everywhere for innovated solutions in the ene...

Is "smart city" just another buzzword? Or a useful way of thinking about how to make urban life more livable, sustainable, diverse, healthy and equitable? We speak to the head of one of the largest property development and urbal planning projects in Europe, HafenCity Hamburg. And we get an assessment from two smart-cities experts on the challenges and opportunities of the metropoles of the future....

The threat of cybercrime is at an all-time high. That’s due to a variety of factors including companies’ increasing digitization, vast amounts of work now being done in home office and the war in Ukraine. That’s created huge demand in Europe’s largest market, Germany. We talk to an expert and a business executive about the current state of cybersecurity and what opportunities are opening up for in...