Successful business transfers ensure continuity of production and business relations, preserve employment, and uphold the value of assets. Since 99% of businesses in the EU are SMEs, it is evident that an overwhelming majority of business transfers occur within this group of companies. Business transfers are therefore a natural part of SME policy. Informed policymaking requires a solid evidence base.
However, data on business transfers are generally fragmented, often outdated, and not comparable across the EU Member States. Therefore, this study by DIW Econ on behalf of the Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises of the European Commission seeks to improve the evidence base on business transfers in the EU Member States.
In 2020, DIW Econ was commissioned by the relevant music industry associations and the two most important collecting societies to conduct a new edition of the study “Music Industry in Germany”, which quantifies the importance of the industry comprehensively and in all its sub-sectors. The study was funded by the Senate of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and by the Initiative Musik gemeinnützige Projektgesellschaft mbH with project funds from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.
As part of the 2019 SME survey, companies in the Berlin/Brandenburg region were asked for the 15th time about their assessment of the current economic situation, their expectations for the future and their investment and financing plans.
The results show that the economic slowdown is not leaving Berlin’s domestic companies completely unscathed. Both the assessments of the business climate and the expected increase in personnel are more cautious. With companies still reluctant to invest, digitisation is one of the top three investment motives.
As part of the SME Survey 2018, Berlin companies were asked about the current economic situation in terms of business climate, future expectations and investment and financing plans. The main topics of the survey were digitisation, company growth and sustainability.
Berliner Sparkasse / Landesbank Berlin commissioned the SME Survey 2018. The responses from representatives of small and medium-sized companies in the region were evaluated.
In the context of the SME Survey 2017 of the Berliner Sparkasse, DIW Econ has looked at the topic of digitisation in a focus analysis. For the first time, a digitisation index for Berlin and the surrounding area could be determined based on the analysis results. The index reflects both the state of digitisation as the current status and the progress of digitisation as the digitisation dynamics.