The ifo Institute for Economic Research in Munich, one of the largest non-university economic research institutes in Germany, dedicates its latest issue of ‘ifo Schnelldienst’ to the importance and organisation of so-called ‘start-ups’ in Germany. In a total of 12 articles, the authors address the question of what start-up policy can and should do to better utilise its economic innovation potential through start-ups.
In his contribution, Rolf Sternberg emphasises the importance of a precise definition of the start-up concept, as vague terminology considerably limits the effectiveness of start-up policy measures. In his opinion, despite extensive political efforts, Germany's start-up deficit still persists in international comparison. Instead of focusing on the promotion of individual potential world market leaders, politicians should prioritise the broad support of start-ups with efficient advisory structures in the regions (one-stop agencies).
Sternberg, R. (2025): Start-ups in Deutschland: Ein Appell für terminologische Klarheit, empirische Evidenz und mehr gründungspolitische Fokussierung. ifo Schnelldienst 78(5), 22–25.
