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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

The Volkswagen Group is pushing ahead with a company-wide cost-cutting program in Wolfsburg, aiming to reduce costs by around 20 percent by the end of 2028, following internal tightening of targets by CEO Oliver Blume and CFO Arno Antlitz. The program is driven by declining margins, high spending on e-mobility and software, and weaker business

On Monday morning, a chain reaction occurred in Schwaigern near Heilbronn in Baden-Württemberg after an electric car plugged into a charging station caught fire. The flames spread to a camper van containing gas cylinders, which exploded due to the heat. This damaged several other cars parked nearby, as well as an adjacent house and a

Alarm bells are ringing in Wesertal because current estimates indicate that the reserves for dismantling the Reinhardswald wind farm may not be sufficient. The problem seems harmless until the bill comes due, when a shortfall in the hundreds of millions of euros looms. This shortfall doesn’t automatically go to the operator. Instead, it can trickle

At the beginning of February, the water level of the Baltic Sea dropped unusually sharply, by 67 cm below normal. At the same time, approximately one-third of the Baltic Sea is frozen over with a remarkably thick layer of ice. Researchers describe this as a rare weather anomaly because wind and air pressure have a

Environment Minister Carsten Schneider is calling for “a bit more local patriotism” from car manufacturers. He wants them to source more raw materials from Germany and Europe. But this demand comes at an inopportune time, as the industry is struggling with costs and sales pressure. At the same time, reforms that could make production profitable

Finance Minister Marcus Optendrenk is causing a stir in North Rhine-Westphalia by giving up his electric BMW i7 and switching back to a diesel. He cites long commutes and a tight schedule as the reasons, arguing that charging and range are not reliable enough for an electric car in a rural state. This directly contradicts

Vattenfall is realigning its nuclear strategy. The focus is on extending the operating lives of existing nuclear power plants in Sweden. At the same time, the company is examining the possibility of entering the field of small-module reactor (SMR) technology with new mini-reactors. CEO Anna Borg describes this as a path to predictable generation and

Frost damage from 2024 is the reason why the new district parking garage in Wetzlar is slated for demolition. The new building on Karl-Kellner-Ring has stood empty for two years, despite being urgently needed. Now the Lahn-Dill district is planning its demolition and a completely new structure on the same site. Before the first car

Unease is growing in BASF’s offices, and in Berlin, it’s hitting a particularly sensitive core. The company is restructuring its central service operations, relying on India for the reorganization. Ironically, the Berlin-based service company, where around 3,000 employees handle tasks such as finance, human resources, and logistics for the corporation, is affected. This puts pressure

Germany is reporting record wind and solar output, but the overall impact on the system remains small – and this is precisely where the reckoning with the reality of the energy transition begins. “A lot built, little delivered” describes the situation better than any celebratory announcement, because expansion alone doesn’t solve the supply problem. At

Forklift manufacturer Jungheinrich is closing a German plant and cutting hundreds of jobs. This is due to a massive price attack by Asian suppliers on the global market. However, the closure affects a production facility considered profitable. (bild: 14.02.26) Plant closure by March 2027: Lüneburg loses manufacturing, only some jobs remain Production at the Lüneburg

The battery storage boom is reaching a new level of escalation, as grid operators are currently rejecting massive numbers of grid connection applications. TenneT and other transmission system operators are removing hundreds of projects from the process. The number of submitted proposals significantly exceeds the actual usable grid capacity, which is why the operators are

In the Allianz Trade study, a company is considered a large corporation once it reaches at least €50 million in annual revenue. In 2025, Germany reached a record high for these large-scale insolvencies, with 94 companies going bankrupt. Hospitals, the automotive industry, and construction were particularly affected. This represents an increase of eight percent compared