Épisodes

  • Scaling New Heights – Germany’s Start-Up Comeback

    Scaling New Heights – Germany’s Start-Up Comeback
    Oct 19 2025
    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 bureaucracy. International entrepreneurs are increasingly drawn to Germany’s mix of cutting-edge research, skilled talent and access to Europe’s largest consumer market. Our guests: Philipp Kövener is Director of Trend & Innovation Scouting at Germany Trade & Invest. Together with his team, he supports start-ups entering the German market and helps those from Germany grow internationally. Johannes Büker is co-founder of Hydronauten, a Rostock-based start-up that developed pioneering pump technology to save energy and stabilize power grids. Anna Bojić is co-founder and CEO of Miss Moneypenny Technologies, a Berlin-based company transforming digital wallets into powerful customer engagement tools.
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    33 min
  • From Prospect to Powerhouse - Offshore Wind in Germany

    From Prospect to Powerhouse - Offshore Wind in Germany
    Sep 1 2025
    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 – and explore how business opportunities are evolving in this dynamic sector. Our guests: Simon Hagemann is Head of Pipeline Development at Swedish utility Vattenfall, the company behind Germanys first offshore wind farm. Markus Nölke is Managing Director of WAB, a nationwide network for the wind energy sector, representing around 250 companies and research institutes across the wind, maritime, and emerging hydrogen industries.
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    32 min
  • A Fresh Start? New German Government, New Business Opportunities

    A Fresh Start? New German Government, New Business Opportunities
    Jun 15 2025
    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? We get some answers from Julia Braune, CEO of Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI). Our guest: Julia Braune has been CEO of GTAI since February 2023. The organization – the Federal Republic of Germany’s international business promotion agency – is responsible helps foreign companies expand to and in Germany and German-based companies do business abroad.
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    19 min
  • Defying Death Valleys: Germany Promotes Disruptive Innovations

    Defying Death Valleys: Germany Promotes Disruptive Innovations
    Apr 15 2025
    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-supported start-up that wants to rid the world’s waters of microplastics. Our guests: SPRING Innovation Manager Olav Carlsen has specialized in radical business notions for more than 30 years. He now focuses on seeking out innovative ideas in Germany to ensure they get the support they need. Roland Damann is founder and CEO of Microbubbles, a company that has developed a novel approach to the problem of microplastic pollution.
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    33 min
  • Charging Forward: E-Trucks and Germany’s Road to Sustainable Transport

    Charging Forward: E-Trucks and Germany’s Road to Sustainable Transport
    Mar 9 2025
    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 change for e-trucks to become the industry standard, and when will the shift likely be complete? To get some answers, we talk to a German trucking company and one of the world largest manufacturers of heavy transport vehicles. Our guests: Kristiane Schmidt is Sustainability Manager at Contargo and an enthusiast for the development of sustainable solutions in the logistics sector. With a Master of Science in Physics and an MBA in Sustainability Management, she combines scientific precision with practical commitment. At Contargo, she relies on facts and empathetic communication to actively and sensitively drive change. Andreas Ritter has been working in container logistics for over ten years and has in-depth specialist knowledge and practical experience in this field. He is particularly interested in the optimization of processes and the further development of hinterland logistics. As Terminal Manager of the Hof site and a member of the Transport and Mobility Committee of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce for Upper Franconia Bayreuth and the Hof Chamber of Industry and Commerce committee, he is actively involved in shaping the future of the industry. Nils Heine has been working in various functions in the automotive sector for over 30 years. Since the launch of the new MAN TG3 series in February 2020, he has been responsible for sales at MAN as well as for zero-emission truck projects and their market launch in Europe. He demonstrates that the switch to zero-emission driving is not only exciting, but also necessary, with his personal drive - he rides his bike to work 90% of the time.
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    38 min
  • (Re-)Searching for New Ideas – Germany’s Unique R&D Landscape

    (Re-)Searching for New Ideas – Germany’s Unique R&D Landscape
    Jan 12 2025
    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 Education and Research and a neurologist turned entrepreneur explain what makes R&D in Germany so special. Our guests: Professor Thomas Fritz leads the research group “Music Evoked Brain Plasticity“ at the Department of Neurology at the Max Planck Society. His research led him to the foundation of Jimmyn – a start-up based on a software that enables the conversion of bodily movements into music. Armin Reinartz is Head of the Directorate-General “European and International Cooperation” at the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
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    40 min
  • Top German Business Stories of 2024 – A Year in Review

    Top German Business Stories of 2024 – A Year in Review
    Dec 15 2024
    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 the country with green energy. INTO GERMANY looks back at the year that was. Our guests: Our year in review features leaders from business and politics and Germany Trade & Invest experts from a variety of fields.
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    30 min
  • Finally Fintech – How Germany Caught On to Digital Finance

    Finally Fintech – How Germany Caught On to Digital Finance
    Nov 3 2024
    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 is an experienced entrepreneur and ecosystem builder and CEO at the newly established HoFT, the House of Finance and Tech in Berlin. Founded in spring 2024, it serves as a central hub within the city’s finance and tech ecosystem. Albertine Lecointe is Vice President of Strategy and Head of Strategic Management at French neobank Qonto, which expanded to Germany in 2020.
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    31 min