News

The IG Metall union in Bavaria is facing a massive wave of job losses in the metal and electrical engineering industries. Given the weak economic situation and ongoing structural changes, the union anticipates around 30,000 job losses. This is triggered by current or announced cutbacks in numerous companies, while only a fraction of new jobs […]

In an interview with WELT, Mahle CEO Arnd Franz criticizes the EU’s policy on phasing out combustion engines by 2035. The reason for his criticism is a Brussels proposal that allows for flexibility regarding hybrids and range extenders, but which, in his view, lacks a clear direction. As a Stuttgart-based supplier, Mahle is at the

Stellantis is bringing back diesel engines to several models in Europe while keeping them available for others. The company says it is realigning its offerings due to strong customer demand. According to Reuters, Stellantis has quietly reactivated diesel variants in at least seven European models since the end of 2025, even though diesel sales accounted

Automotive supplier Magna is closing its plant in Rosenberg, in the Neckar-Odenwald district of Baden-Württemberg, after the search for an investor failed. On Wednesday, February 11, the company informed its workforce of the final closure of the plant, which Magna had already announced in October 2024. The plant, which manufactures transmission components for the automotive

On February 16, the Green Party presented its 10-point plan for the energy transition. The occasion was the announced grid package by Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Katherina Reiche, which aims to prioritize grid connections and limit the expansion of wind and solar energy. The plan, however, relies on even more expansion, even more grid

Offshore wind farms in the North Sea could measurably alter currents regionally and, in some cases, over large areas by 2050, particularly in the German Bight. This is shown by long-term simulations from the Helmholtz Centre Hereon, published in Nature Communications Earth & Environment. The impetus for these simulations is a politically driven expansion scenario

In Lauen, Saxony, VOWAG GmbH has finally failed after insolvency proceedings were opened at the Chemnitz District Court (case number: 205 IN 4/26), as the insolvency administrator sees no possibility of restructuring. The business has effectively ceased operations. The trigger was the lack of an investor. Production has already stopped and the factory has been

In Germany, concerns about a natural gas shortage have been growing since the 2020s, even though, according to Professor Hans-Joachim Kümpel, the former head of the German Mineral Resources Agency, the country possesses large domestic shale gas resources. The reason for this concern is the legal ban on fracking for natural gas from shale and

The Chinese central government is steering the heat pump industry with a strategy paper entitled “Action Plan to Promote High-Quality Development in the Heat Pump Industry.” In it, China is focusing on scaling up production, higher standards, and increased research by 2030. The goal remains a competitive advantage in the international market. The German Heat

In the US state of Washington, the private company Helion has heated a plasma to 150 million degrees Celsius in its prototype “Polaris,” marking a milestone for private nuclear fusion. This temperature is well above the 100 million degree Celsius mark, considered a crucial threshold for technically viable fusion power plants. At the same time,

Eon is calling for mandatory smart meters in all households. The impetus is the slow rollout in Germany, despite growing demand. At the end of September 2025, the installation rate in Germany was just under 4 percent, with nearly two million devices transmitting data, while many EU countries have already reached 80 percent or more.

Since the end of January 2026, the German government in Berlin has been examining the possibility of providing a guarantee for gas deliveries from Argentina. This was triggered by a preliminary inquiry to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi). The inquiry concerns an LNG project in the province of Río Negro. The

DB Cargo is cutting almost half of its approximately 14,000 full-time positions in Germany, with 6,200 job losses. The cuts affect operations, dispatching, and planning, as well as administration, sales, and IT. The move is triggered by restructuring pressure following an EU state aid investigation. After several restructuring attempts, the company continues to post losses,

Online retailer Otto is cutting approximately 460 full-time positions, primarily at its headquarters in Hamburg, following the elimination of around 480 customer service jobs in 2025. This move is triggered by a comprehensive cost-cutting program under new CEO Petra Scharner-Wolff, aimed at significantly reducing the company’s cost base by 2027/28. The job cuts primarily affect

In Germany, major steel companies have halted or postponed key green transformation projects since 2025: ArcelorMittal has put its planned climate-neutral restructuring at its Hamburg site on hold, Salzgitter is slowing down until at least 2028/2029, and Thyssenkrupp is linking investments to a cost-cutting program. The triggers are the lack of and high cost of