More than 100 company founders and managers have called on the German government to boost innovation, growth and competitiveness, as Chancellor Friedrich Merz's administration seeks to pass a package of economic reforms.
The appeal, published by the German Startup Association on Wednesday, demands that the key meeting of Merz's coalition committee on July 1 focus on tangible reform proposals rather than declarations of intent.
"The loss of 10,000 industrial jobs per month last year is a wake-up call and at the same time an obligation to act for real reforms," said Verena Pausder, the association's chief executive.
The statement was signed by prominent figures from the start-up sector, including Zalando co-chief executive David Schröder and Flix founder André Schwämmlein.
It was also signed by managers including former Deutsche Telekom chief executive René Obermann, former Thyssenkrupp supervisory board chairman Gerhard Cromme and Thomas Book, a board member at Deutsche Börse.
Germany has many advantages, including world-class research, skilled talent and a strong industrial base, Pausder said. "We need to make much better use of these potentials," she said.
The signatories called on the state to make it possible to register a company within 24 hours across the country. They also called for more incentives for start-up spin-offs from universities and research institutes.
Other demands target the broader economy, including more flexible protections against dismissal for top earners, greater investment in digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence computing capacity, and more practical conditions for employee share schemes.
