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Read more about topics that move small and medium-sized businesses
Every day, a multitude of issues determine small and medium-sized companies’ entrepreneurial activities. Digitization, financing or securing skilled workers are just three examples from a long list in which BVMW has a high level of expertise – and provides its members with advice and support. Find the topics relevant to you on the following pages, accompanied by background information, events, demands, expert commissions, and national and regional news.
Bureaucratic hurdles are obstacles to successful mid-sized companies. Paralyzing regulations, information requirements and approval procedures should be abolished. Regulatory transparency creates synergies.
The upcoming generation change poses major challenges for SMEs. Every succession plan is different. Personnel selection, financing, investments or sales must be organized professionally.
Topics such as economic protection, cybercrime, as well as structural, technical and organizational security issues are essential for SMEs and should be on every company's agenda.
Digitization is fundamentally changing the way we live and work. Machines communicate with each other, tangible realities merge with virtuality, and processes are automated. Familiar ways of thinking must be re-evaluated.
Commission on Internet and Digital Affairs
The BVMW Commission on the Internet and Digital Affairs is the voice of SMEs in Digital policy. IT service providers, users, consultants and scientists form the team of experts on the digitization of Germany as a business location. The Commission successfully pursues the following objectives:
Paul Ruland
Policy Advisor Digital Affairs
Good and differentiated education is the foundation of a functioning democracy, society and stable economy. Education is more than just imparting knowledge and skills.
Commission for Education
The BVMW's Commission for Education deals with education policy issues that affect small and medium-sized businesses within the framework of life-stage-related education. The Commission’s focus is on continuing education, advanced training and professional reorientation. Of particular importance are aspects that are transforming the world of work as a result of the increasing digitization of society. Added to this is the recruitment of skilled workers through education, which is becoming increasingly important as a result of demographic change.
To provide professional expertise for BVMW members, the commission analyses what is currently happening in the education policy landscape. To represent the interests of BVMW’s members, the commission analyses the situation, develops approaches to solutions, drafts statements, press releases and position papers, and maintains a regular exchange with politicians, government bodies and the public.
Marie-Theres Husken
Deputy Head of Economics, Policy Advisor Energy, Sustainability, Mobility, Logistics
Competitive energy costs are growth accelerators. Energy transition, increasing energy efficiency and decentralized power generation can only be successful if government levies on electricity costs fall.
Energy and Sustainable Management Commission
Rising energy prices are placing a considerable burden on small and medium-sized enterprises. For this reason, BVMW established the Energy Commission in 2011. Here, medium-sized entrepreneurs develop solutions to actively shape the energy transition and spread sustainable management as a holistic approach.
The Commission’s work is guided by the following principles:
The Commission's work aims to promote an economically efficient, safe and sustainable energy policy. From this perspective, energy policy strategies and concepts are developed in the Commission. The work covers not only energy management and energy efficiency efforts as a sub-process within companies but also the management of the energy transition as an overall economic challenge.
Marie-Theres Husken
Deputy Head of Economics, Policy Advisor Energy, Sustainability, Mobility, Logistics
Solid financing is a prerequisite for the growth and innovative ability of a small or medium-sized company. Banks, private lenders as well as public authorities are needed to position themselves as partners of SMEs.
Taxes and Finances Commission
The Commission supports the Board and management at the federal level, proposes BVMW tax and financial policy positions and advises on their formulation. The Commission's work aims to represent the interests of German SMEs in tax and financial policy sustainably and expressively. To achieve this goal, the commission members work on the following tasks in particular:
The work of the Tax and Finance Commission aims to make BVMW heard as a representative of the entrepreneurial middle class based on a high professional level and practical experience in politics.
Dr. Hans-Jürgen Völz
Chief Economist
Globalization does not stop at small and medium-sized businesses – on the contrary. Cross-border trade in goods, services and capital is intensifying and offers growth opportunities that should be deliberately seized.
Foreign Trade Commission
The globalized world offers SMEs opportunities and risks for their business development. To remain fit for the future, one thing is crucial above all else – expertise.
The necessary knowledge is consolidated in BVMW together with our member companies through expert work in the Foreign Trade Commission. The strategic recommendations developed by the Commission form the basis for the association’s international orientation. By involving SME entrepreneurs in the Commission’s work, BVMW positions itself as an international player for German SMEs.
Tasks and objectives of the Foreign Trade Commission
Reinhold von Ungern-Sternberg
Director International Markets
Tetiana Piletska
International Trade Advisor – Europe and North America
Healthcare spending continues to rise. Sickness-related employee absences are placing an increasing burden on companies. Digitizing the healthcare system and investing in prevention would pay off twice: more health, and fewer costs.
Martin Holderied
Policy Advisor Labour and Social Affairs
The legal situation is constantly changing. New regulations are added to the approximately one hundred and fifty thousand individual regulations each year; the EU alone is the author of approximately 30% of all new regulations. It is important to stay on top of things.
Legal Affairs Commission
BVMW’s Legal Affairs Commission supports the Board, the management and the members at the federal level, proposes BVMW positions and advises on their formulation. The Commission's work aims to represent the interests of German SMEs sustainably and expressively through the expertise of lawyers. To achieve this goal, the commission members work on the following tasks in particular:
Writing articles for the entrepreneur magazine "DER Mittelstand." and the newsletter "MITTELSTAND aktuell" as well as editing specialized publications of the BVMW
Dr. Hans-Jürgen Völz
Chief Economist
Efficient and safe transport routes are one thing. E-mobility, car-sharing concepts and intelligent guidance systems are the other. Both can be achieved with innovative technologies and by reducing the investment backlog.
Mobility and Logistics Commission
Whether logistics by truck, train, ship and plane or with the Cargo-E-Bike for the last mile - committed entrepreneurs from the logistics and mobility industry bring their expertise to the BVMW Commission Mobility and Logistics and actively shape the positioning of the association in these subject areas. The aim is to strengthen the competitiveness of medium-sized logistics companies in a competitive market. The reduction of CO2 emissions and the introduction of new innovative technologies are actively promoted.
Marie-Theres Husken
Deputy Head of Economics, Policy Advisor Energy, Sustainability, Mobility, Logistics
Dr. Hans-Jürgen Völz
Chief Economist
Mobile working has become a habit in many companies since the covid pandemic at the latest. But what do employers and employees need to keep in mind? You can find answers to your questions here.
SMEs face the challenge of finding and retaining suitably skilled workers. The economy is on a good course, and competition for the best minds is increasing. The ongoing issue of a skilled-worker shortage must be resolved
Startups and Entrepreneurship Commission
The aim of the Commission is to bundle the professional skills in the field of "Startups and Entrepreneurship " of the members of the BVMW for the purpose of preparing BVMW statements on legislative projects and political concepts, proposals and efforts. Furthermore, the Commission forms competence networks for the implementation of specific projects and initiatives.
The Federal Commission for Startups and Entrepreneurship offers:
- The experts from the Commission help with questions related to start-ups and establishing companies
- The Commission makes founders' voices heard and advocates for better framework conditions for founders
- The Commission networks, cooperates and informs about the start-up movement
Dr. Hans-Jürgen Völz
Chief Economist
99 percent of all companies in Germany belong to the SME sector. This makes the internationally celebrated "German Mittelstand" the guarantor of our prosperity. It provides apprenticeships and is a driver of the economy and employment.
For more information check our website at SME Alliance.
Only when the tax burden and tax bureaucracy are at an acceptable level does a company develop positively. Exemptions, high tax burdens and increasing tax types tie up entrepreneurial resources.
Innovation and Funding Programmes Commission
The Commission's work aims to represent the interests of German SMEs in innovation and funding policy sustainably and expressively. Specifically, the Innovation and Funding Programmes Commission pools the technical expertise of its members in both areas. It provides management support at the federal level, and develops statements and position papers on innovation policy and the German and European funding landscape.
The Commissions work focuses on the following areas of responsibility:
The Commission evaluates innovation methods and support programmes and develops positions and proposals for improvement to tailor them even more specifically to the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises. Subsequently, these positions and proposals are shared via BVMW's political network and exchanged in close cooperation with the responsible ministries, project sponsors and political decision-makers.
Matthias Brucke
Head of the Commission for Innovation and Funding Programmes, Founder/Shareholder embeteco GmbH & Co. KG
Dr. Hans-Jürgen Völz
Chief Economist
Commission for Labour and Social Affairs
Shortage of skilled workers, posting directive, minimum wage, bureaucracy – on these and other topics committed entrepreneurs from various industries contribute their expertise to the BVMW Labour and Social Affairs Commission and actively shape the association’s labour and social policy agenda.
The work of the BVMW’s Commission "Labor and Social Affairs" includes following fields:
Martin Holderied
Policy Advisor Labour and Social Affairs
Commission for German Armed Forces and Organizations with Security Tasks
SMEs have proven to be reliable partners for the German Armed Forces since 1955. With motivated reservists and high-quality defence technology and civilian goods and services, SMEs make a significant contribution to fulfilling the tasks of the armed forces. SMEs are ready to make their contribution to meeting the increased demands placed on the German Armed Forces as a result of current global political developments.
To this end, we have established the Commission for German Armed Forces and Organizations with Security Tasks, which is dedicated to two key issues: A focal point of the work is first, the client, the German Armed Forces, and thus the procurement of materials and the provision of services by small and medium-sized enterprises, and second, the release of employees for reserve services. The aim is to improve the exchange between the German Armed Forces, Organizations with Security Tasks, politicians and small and medium-sized enterprises in such a way that more companies benefit from the German Armed Forces as a customer and the German Armed Forces can draw on a larger reservoir of reservists.
Dr. Hans-Jürgen Völz
Chief Economist
Patricia Sekora
Assistant Economics