In an extremely unusual moment of corporate unity, 61 of Germany’s most powerful CEOs and business leaders today formally launched a countrywide campaign entitled “Made for Germany” to restore their nation’s economic muscularity and long-term competitiveness. The initiative, announced at a press conference in Berlin, includes promises to invest in innovation, modernize industrial operations, support energy transition projects, and to call for structural reforms shoulder-to-shoulder with the federal government.
The coalition includes leaders from some of Germany’s biggest corporate pillars: banking, manufacturing, logistics, engineering, and technology. The most prominent names in the group include Christian Sewing of Deutsche Bank, Roland Busch of Siemens, Christian Bruch of Siemens Energy, Frank Appel of Deutsche Post DHL, and Belen Garijo of Merck. Their joint message came through loud and clear: Germany is at an economic crossroads, and waiting for political solutions alone is no longer viable.
The Deutsche Bank chief made the remarks on behalf of the group, pointing out that Germany needs to find its way back to “the courage to transform.” He added that its productivity levels, regulatory hurdles, and slow pace in digital infrastructure have put the country behind such major global economies as China. “We are not declaring an emergency,” Sewing said, “but we are acknowledging reality. Germany needs bold decisions—both from policymakers and from us, the business community.”
The initiative itself is made of several strategic pillars: the first concerns digital modernization, including speeding up nationwide broadband expansion, supporting research in artificial intelligence, and helping mid-sized companies adopt advanced technologies. Many CEOs argued that Germany’s industrial base cannot thrive in a world where software, automation, and data are becoming central to every sector.
The second pillar focuses on energy and sustainability: businesses pledge to cut carbon emissions by transitioning to cleaner production, increasing electrification, and partnering in the development of green hydrogen. Siemens Energy CEO Christian Bruch characterized the transition as “not only an ecological imperative but also as the basis for our industrial competitiveness in the future.” As he warned, without affordable and secure energy, Germany risks losing manufacturing capacity to other parts of the world.
Another big plank of “Made for Germany” is investment in workforce development. Executives underlined increasing skilled labor shortages and pledged firms would expand apprenticeship schemes, reskilling programs, and partnerships with universities. The chief executive of Merck, Belen Garijo, stressed that Germany has to stay a place where the best scientific and engineering talent wants to come. “No people, no innovation, because nobody can turn ideas into reality,” she said.
A fourth pillar deals with regulatory reform, for which corporate leaders, in particular, want the government to move swiftly. Many chief executives blasted what they called over-regulation, lengthy approval procedures for infrastructure projects, and unpredictable policy frameworks. Siemens’ Roland Busch declared that Germany needed to make possible faster cycles of innovation. “If it takes years to build a factory or approve an energy project, then the momentum is lost,” he said.
The government has cautiously but positively welcomed the initiative. Officials in Berlin said the message from industry matched political debate currently under way over modernizing the economy. A number of ministers still voiced gratitude for the offer from the private sector to accept responsibility rather than merely pushing for policy adjustments. Yet some policymakers cautioned that cooperation should remain transparent and not veer toward giving disproportionate influence over public decision-making to big companies.
Public reaction to “Made for Germany” has been mixed. Industry associations and economic think tanks welcomed the initiative as a much-needed wake-up call, considering Germany’s economy has grown through stagnation in several instances, fallen productivity, and worldwide competition. However, labor unions sounded apprehension that corporate-driven reforms could put pressure on workers or lead to cost-cutting measures disguised as modernization. But despite criticism, most analysts agree this is unprecedented in its scale.
Never has such a broad array of chief executives issued a single pledge to behave better in pursuit of national challenges and at the same time call for partnership with the state. The 61 CEOs said they will publish progress reports as the initiative enters its implementation phase, and that they will meet frequently to evaluate the economic indicators. Sewing added: “It is not a symbolic commitment, but long term. We want Germany to succeed-not just our companies. We can secure prosperity for the next generation, if we act now.”
