There are increasing signs of a positive turnaround in the German start-up scene – at least that is the diagnosis of the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) in its current report.
After a seven-year drought, the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) Founder Report 2018 finally appears to be gaining momentum in Germany's start-up landscape. The DIHK Founder Report is based on the experience reports of start-up advisors from the 79 Chambers of Industry and Commerce (IHKs) and a statistical analysis of the IHK Start-up Service. Overall, this year's study is based on around 200,000 IHK contacts with aspiring entrepreneurs. The result: In 32 of the 79 IHK regions, the number of personal conversations with prospective entrepreneurs increased. The report further states: Martin Wansleben, DIHK Managing Director:
"The Chambers of Industry and Commerce are seeing an increase in attendance at their start-up days nationwide. In addition, more people are seeking information about business start-up opportunities at their local Chambers of Industry and Commerce."
Not just reason to be happy
Apparently, the good economic situation is making people curious about entrepreneurial independence, according to his impression. However, there's more to it than just joy:
“Where the idea of founding a company is taking shape, the numbers unfortunately continue to point downwards overall.”
Once again, there were fewer personal contacts regarding the actual business start-up. The DIHK Managing Director calls for more political commitment and immediately offers concrete suggestions:
“Founders throughout Germany urgently need fast internet, less bureaucracy, central contact points for administrative procedures, and e-government, even in rural areas.”
Laying the foundations for the future now
Especially in terms of digitalization, there's still room for improvement – despite a growing startup scene, he warned. Projects in the service, transport, and retail sectors are lagging significantly behind in some cases. Wansleben further recommends:
"With more than 180,000 consultations annually, the Chambers of Industry and Commerce support founders, including with questions about digitalization. The federal government should now move quickly to equip all of Germany with high-speed internet, as envisaged in the coalition agreement. Only in this way can we lay the foundation today for making Germany fit for startups and the innovative SMEs of tomorrow."
The DIHK Founder Report 2018 is available for download here.