"According to Minister Habeck, 2023 is the 'Year of Industry' - this slogan must be followed by a 'Yes' to industry. With a clear commitment to industrial SMEs, not just to large-scale industry," says Holger Ade, Head of Industrial and Energy Policy at the German Steel and Metal Processing Association (Wirtschaftsverband Stahl- und Metallverarbeitung). SMEs, which are of systemic importance to Germany as an industrial location, need the same political support as the corporate world in order to overcome the current challenges.
In view of initial programs, such as the climate protection treaties, the association again fears a focus on large-scale industry or individual raw materials sectors. SMEs, which are "systemically relevant" to the industry as a whole, need the same support as the corporate world in order to overcome the current challenges - transformation, CO₂ neutrality, shortage of skilled workers, etc. - and to meet the challenges of the future. - the same support as the corporations. Politicians must quickly cap costs, ensure affordable energy supplies, and reduce bureaucracy in processes. Only in the long term could the Year of Industry be the prelude to stopping deindustrialization.