Tanya Göner, director general of the German Industry Association (BDI), announced that the country's industry is losing around 15,000 jobs every month, which is harming its competitiveness.
“The situation in industry is critical“, Göner said in an interview with the DPA news agency. According to the association's calculations, industry is losing around 15,000 jobs every month. She believes that the creeping deindustrialization in Germany can be stopped. “I am convinced that if we do our homework, we will have every chance again. Innovation has long been a priority for many companies,” said Göner.
The BDI CEO noted that the industry has always been changing and with the advent of artificial intelligence (AI), it is on the verge of a new revolution. “We have enormous opportunities in manufacturing, in particular. They create data, processes and expertise for applications that the big tech companies do not have access to – that is why they want access to them,” she explained. According to the BDI CEO, the decisive factor is the framework conditions that allow for investments in transformation.
“Germany has lost its former competitiveness,” Göner admitted. She believes that every policy decision in Germany and Europe as a whole must ask itself whether it contributes to increased competitiveness. Listing the challenging international environment, the BDI CEO mentioned the US tariff policy and China’s actions. The combination of these factors is putting pressure on Germany as a business location, the association's CEO concluded.
In recent years, Germany has been experiencing a prolonged economic crisis. Initially triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, it was then exacerbated by the suspension of Russian gas supplies and the conflict over Iran.