(Photo: © dookdui/123RF.com)
Read aloud:
September 1, 2024
Startup boom in Rhineland-Palatinate: The number of new businesses founded in the skilled trades, services, and industry sectors has increased by 10,7 percent, the highest level since 2015. The biggest obstacle is the shortage of skilled workers.
After a decline last year, the number of new businesses founded in Rhineland-Palatinate rose again by 10,7 percent, reaching its highest level since 2015 with a total of 34.878 business registrations. Almost half of these, however, were part-time businesses.
At the same time, there were 30.856 business closures. This translates to 4.022 additional businesses in Rhineland-Palatinate . Around a third of the new businesses were founded by women. This information comes from the business start-up report published by the working groups of the Chambers of Industry and Commerce and the four Chambers of Skilled Crafts in the state. Minister of Economic Affairs Daniela Schmitt sees this positive trend as evidence of the state's "targeted economic policy."
Non-German citizens play a key role in the dynamics of start-ups, recently accounting for one in six new businesses in Rhineland-Palatinate. New businesses founded by non-EU citizens (including Turkey, Kosovo, and Ukraine) have increased particularly sharply, rising by twelve percent.
The strongest growth was again in business services, i.e., B2B startups. New businesses in the skilled trades also increased last year . Despite the continuing difficult situation in the construction industry, there was a slight upward trend in licensed trades, with new businesses rising from 1.790 to 1.822. Hairdressing businesses, as well as electrical engineering, automotive technology, and plumbing and heating installation, led the way.
Operations management
Operations management
Operations management
The largest number of new businesses, 2.756, were reported in the trades that do not require a license. Building cleaners had the highest number of new businesses , followed by beauticians and photographers.
Axel Bettendorf, Managing Director of the Association of Chambers of Skilled Crafts in Rhineland-Palatinate , sees the shortage of skilled workers as a double obstacle to the dynamics of new business start-ups: "On the one hand, the labor market offers well-paid alternatives for young people. On the other hand, it becomes particularly difficult for founders to attract skilled workers during the growth phase when order books are full."
“Many projects that were postponed in recent years due to the multiple crises are now slowly being tackled – we can see this in the increasing interest in the consulting services offered by our startup centers and in the networking events,” says Arne Rössel, Managing Director of the Rhineland-Palatinate Chamber of Industry and Commerce . “It is now important to further improve the financing conditions for founders and to reduce bureaucratic hurdles so that the positive figures become a long-term trend.”
Startup centers for founders and successors: Anyone wishing to become self-employed or take over a business in Rhineland-Palatinate can contact one of the 31 startup centers run by the Chambers of Skilled Crafts and the Chambers of Industry and Commerce and receive comprehensive support. The startup centers offer individual consultations, free tax and legal consultation days, and networking events.
Rhineland-Palatinate is an attractive location for innovative business ideas, emphasized the Minister of Economic Affairs at the presentation of the startup report . "Our founders make a significant contribution to the economic dynamism and innovative strength of the state," said Schmitt. "We want to politically support this positive atmosphere, which is driven by entrepreneurial courage." The Ministry of Economic Affairs is focusing on a wide range of incentives for founders.
However, the Chambers of Industry and Commerce and Chambers of Skilled Crafts are calling for an expansion of support programs such as the Rhineland-Palatinate start-up grant "in order to improve the starting conditions for young companies".
A new venture capital fund - the Innovation Fund III Rhineland-Palatinate - has been endowed with 50 million euros to support technology-oriented start-ups in their early development phase.
"We have deliberately doubled the maximum funding limit for investments to two million euros in order to be able to support cost-intensive developments in special technology fields even better," says Schmitt.
Crucially important are the contacts between established companies – from medium-sized businesses to large corporations – and start-ups. These are facilitated, for example, by the innovation agency.
Unlike in many countries, the Startup Office is directly anchored within the Ministry of Economic Affairs as a central office for startups.
The Rhineland-Palatinate start-up grant supports start-up projects in an early phase with monthly payments, coaching and network access.
Special competitions for founders in Rhineland-Palatinate include, for example, startup innovativ , the Innovation Prize , Pioniergeist , but also 1,2,3 Go and the Ideas Competition.
To make it easier for Rhineland-Palatinate entrepreneurs to access international markets, the foreign trade promotion agency is working on start-up programs, for example, according to the ministry.
Source: MWVLW; Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chamber of Crafts and Trades
DHB now also available digitally! Simply click here and register for the digital German Crafts Journal (DHB)!
Newsletter
Write a comment