A look back

German-Chilean Steering Committee: Focus on sector groups

With the aim of taking stock of the past seven years and jointly defining the direction for the future, the first meeting of the German-Chilean steering committee of the Partnering in Business with Germany programme took place in Santiago de Chile on 21 November 2023. The bilateral committee agreed to include a broader range of companies and increase the number of Chilean companies in order to intensify cooperation.

Short official channel: Ukrainian and German government officials in Berlin

As part of the Partnering in Business with Germany programme of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), 19 executives from various ministries in Ukraine met in Berlin from 13 to 17 November 2023. The programme has been held annually since 2001 with the aim of improving cooperation at government level and supporting Ukraine’s rapprochement with the EU through professional exchange.

Managers from Azerbaijan and Mongolia experience agricultural machinery innovation

A delegation from Azerbaijan and Mongolia recently visited the German family-run business Lemken to experience agricultural machinery up close.

Promotion of Alumni Networks

Numerous alumni from the programme’s 17 partner countries came together at our recent alumni workshop as part of the event to mark the 25^th anniversary of Partnering in Business with Germany in Berlin. During the workshop, alumni gained insights into the focal points of alumni work, which aims to promote business relations and establish alumni networks.

25th Anniversary Celebration in Berlin

Partnering in Business with Germany: The former Manager Training Programme gets off to a good start with a new name and a stronger emphasis on partnership.

The celebrations to mark the 25^th anniversary of the BMWK foreign trade promotion scheme took place in Berlin with numerous international associates and guests over the course of two days.

New Programme Name: Focus on Partnership

After 25 successful years, the “Manager Training Programme” will now be renamed “Partnering in Business with Germany”.

5th Meeting of the German-Mongolian Steering Committee in Berlin

Under the positive impression of the celebrations for the 25th anniversary of the Partnering in Business with Germany programme, the 5th meeting of the German-Mongolian Steering Committee took place in Berlin on 27 October 2023. Dr Andreas Nicolin, Deputy Head of Department at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, and Idesh Batkhuu, State Secretary at the Ministry of Economy and Development of Mongolia, chaired the meeting.

German-Turkmenian cooperation with green issues in focus

As part of the anniversary celebrations of the Manager Training Programme, which has been renamed Partnering in Business with Germany as a result of the further development of the Programme and its successful relaunch, Germany and Turkmenistan agreed to continue their cooperation in the successful foreign trade promotion instrument in the Joint Declaration.

Successful Kick-off of the “Special Initiative Ukraine”

This October, 17 Ukrainian refugee managers in Düsseldorf and 20 Ukrainian refugee managers in Berlin started the “Special Initiative Ukraine of the Manager Training Programme” pilot project of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action of Germany.

Under a new name at the Foreign Trade Days

During the Foreign Trade Days, which took place from 11-13 October at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) and to which numerous German entrepreneurs were invited, the Manager Training Programme was presented for the first time under a new name: Partnering in Business with Germany.

Georgian managers gain insights at Brohl Wellpappe

Participants from Georgia visited Brohl Wellpappe, a company specialising in the production of packaging for various industries and international markets.

From organic waste to electricity

Waste disposal plants and the largest biogas plant in Europe at its construction gave a South African group at the Zweckverband Abfallwirtschaft (ZAW) Donau-Wald in Passau insights into sustainable recycling solutions.

Smart Farming and Sustainable Food Processing

Vietnamese executives learned about climate and environmentally friendly cultivation and processing methods from Germany during visits to German companies as part of the Manager Training Programme – and made promising business contacts in the process.

Networking event in India: A look into the future

Almost 100 alumni and other representatives from politics and business accepted the invitation of the Indo-German Manager Training Programme to the networking event “Forming Long-term Partnerships” on 21 and 22 July 2023 in Bangalore, India. The focus was on the opportunity to connect with German institutions in India, such as AHK Bengaluru, VDMA India and also the Fraunhofer Institute from Bengaluru.

Insightful entrepreneurial practices from a scales manufacturer

Executives from Egypt gained insights into the successful marketing strategy for the diverse company portfolio and the operational process in production during their visit to Bizerba SE & Co. KG, which is known for scales technology.

Tradition and innovation lead to international success

As one of the market leaders in automation with vacuum and for ergonomic handling systems, Schmalz GmbH has been a partner in worldwide demand for years. Azerbaijani managers visited the company to see the innovative strength of the company and gained important insights into international business processes.

Programme with Kazakhstan extended until 2025

In the presence of Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Udo Philipp, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, and the Kazakh Minister of Economy, Alibek Kuanyrov, signed a Joint Declaration on further cooperation within the framework of the bilateral Manager Training Programme until the end of 2025 in Astana on 20 June.

South Africa: Course set for further cooperation

Within the framework of the German-South African Binational Commission on 19 June, the working group on economy and energy met. Ms Borak, Deputy Head of Bilateral and Regional Climate and Energy Cooperation, Sub-Saharan Africa at the BMWK, also discussed the Manager Training Programme, in which South Africa has been a partner country since 2019.

Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Manager Training Programme with Egypt!

A festive event dedicated to the 10^th anniversary of the Manager Training Programme with Egypt was held in Cairo on June 14, 2023. Over the past ten years, a total of 350 businesswomen and businessmen have completed the  Programme successfully, many of them working in mechanical engineering, chemistry, food production, metal and plastics processing and services.

German-Mongolian cooperation reaffirmed

Networking at all levels was the focus of the German-Mongolian Business Forum of the Manager Training Program in cooperation with the German-Mongolian Business Association (DMUV) in Ulaanbaatar in mid-June.

“The Manager Training Programme supports Chile to push forward the green economy”

On 23 May, a networking event took place in Santiago, Chile. The participants were welcomed by Markus Weichert, responsible for Chile in the Manager Training Programme of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.

“We got recognized globally after the programme”

“Gaining new strength through cooperation” – this was the motto of the first alumni event on 11 and 12 May in Cape Town, South Africa. The theme was not only on paper but was lived by the former Programme participants on both days. The focus was on networking among themselves as well as on cooperation with German institutions.

15 Years of Successful Cooperation with Turkmenistan

“The Manager Training Programme is an excellent example of German-Turkmen cooperation”, stressed Michael U. Bierhoff, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Turkmenistan, in his speech on 4 May during the celebration of the 15^th anniversary of the Manager Training Programme in Turkmenistan.

Green Transformation: New Impetus for German-Vietnamese Cooperation

This year, the alumni networking event was under the title of “Green Transformation: New Impetus for German-Vietnamese Cooperation”. This was reflected in the keynote speech by Manuel Palz, Deputy Head of Division for the Manager Training Programme at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, and in various workshops.

Vietnam: New Emphasis

The Vietnamese Ministry for Planning and Investment hosted the 7th Meeting of the German-Vietnamese Steering Committee in Hanoi on 30 March.

Innovation through Tradition

Shasenem Garlyyeva is a businesswoman through and through. With her two firms, she promotes business relations between Turkmenistan and Germany and contributes to bringing the cultures of the two countries closer together. She brings handmade home textiles made of camel hair into German living rooms. And in her own bakery, she will soon be delighting her fellow citizens with genuine German “Baumkuchen” layer cakes.

A Stronger Emphasis on Climate and Resource Protection

The 3^rd Meeting of the German-Azerbaijani Steering Committee took place in Berlin on 9 February.

A Start into the New Year with Regard to the German Economy

The Annual Meeting of the Training Centres (FBZs) of the Manager Training Programme took place in Bonn on 2 and 3 February 2023. The new Head of Division for the Manager Training Programme at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), Mr Ulrich Niemann, introduced himself to the participants and presented incentives from the ministry with a focus on the German economy.

Wine and friends make a great blend

Ezanne and Lesego got to know each other during the Virtual Manager Training Programme in 2020. Then they met each other in real life and became friends. At one of their get-togethers, they hit on the idea of creating their own wine range. And that was the beginning of “Khai Wines”. Khai means “rise up”, and the brand represents the passion the two entrepreneurs have for their home country South Africa.

Manager Training Programme Goes Green

For many companies Green Economy is already an integral component of their corporate activities – also in the case of the managers from Chile and Mexico who visited Germany in June within the framework of the Manager Training Programme. It was a recurrent topic throughout the Programme.

Successful Together

Mokhtar, Wissem and Hichem have been friends since the Manager Training Programme and also have close business links. With each other – and with the German business sector.

New Paths

Manjusha Mohan represents change at G’sons Apparels, where she has promoted the development of women and revolutionised the way her company handles waste. She is also driving the firm’s internationalisation.

Entrepreneur from Tashkent Shows Flexibility and Farsightedness

Umida Tadjieva is a businesswoman through and through. After completing her degree as a paediatrician she attained a Master’s degree in health management and in 2014 founded a company that now makes it possible for patients in Uzbekistan to have access to high-quality medical treatment in Germany. The company is also active on the international health market and trains staff from medical and other fields. Yet, as an entrepreneur she doesn’t only export patients and staff, she also ensures that medical expertise flows back into Uzbekistan. The Manager Training Programme helped support her in doing this.

“Buna enteta” – Let’s Have a Coffee!

Coffee is Ethiopia’s national beverage. Sara Yirga also loves the brew made from roasted beans. Her company produces fair trade coffee and supports smallholder farmers. Since completing the Manager Training Programme, she has also been exporting her special beans abroad. The passionate entrepreneur is also involved in advanced training for coffee experts.

Virtual reality made in Chile conquers the European market

Eight years ago, Juan Reyes founded his own software start-up together with four friends from university. “A company has to be as diverse as a zoo,” he says. Reyes completed the Manager Training Programme a year ago. It has become his springboard into international business.

Up close and personal with the German economy

Executives from Tunisia participated in the virtual manager training programme in spring. The 18 entrepreneurs from various industries and representing various company sizes had a positive experience. The main objective of the group was to establish business contacts to German companies and to maintain and expand existing relationships by participating in the programme, despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

A Springboard to Success

His participation in the Manager Training Programme was a career boost for Fizuli Yolchiyev from Azerbaijan. After six years as Purchasing Manager at Facet LLC, a wholesale firm for medical technology, he was promoted to the position of Head of Purchasing. Since then, he has particularly intensified the cooperation with German firms.

Setting an Example for Vocational Training

Ramy Soudan is the managing director of Riyada. In an interview, he talks about modernising his company after completing the Manager Training Programme. He has recently started in-house training for dairy technologists and is driving the development of the profession which is still new in Egypt. His training programme is modelled on Germany’s vocational training system.

“Find the Containers!”

Ainur Abdina is making the impossible possible while successfully navigating her company through the pandemic. The entrepreneur from Kazakhstan acquired the necessary confidence and know-how in the Manager Training Programme.

“The Programme has changed my life”

Looking back on her participation in the Manager Training Programme (MP), Maria Plesca states, that it changed her entire life. Following the training in Germany, she was so inspired that she not only reorganised her parent’s business, Tingrimar, but also took over another firm.

Georgian Lemonade for the German Market

Export Manager Malkhaz Chakaberia wanted to find out how popular his lemonade “made in Georgia” was in Germany. The sobering result: the soft drink is too sweet for German taste buds. The enlightening result: he can sell it nevertheless because he has found a niche market for it.

“Our processes are now 90 per cent more efficient”

For more than two decades, Ranok has provided the Ukrainian market with books and stationery. Business is good and processing all the orders quickly and efficiently is one of the firm’s biggest challenges. As head of logistics, this is Jurij Bugaj’s responsibility. In the course of the MP, he optimised the warehouse technology in his firm and increased his focus on employee motivation.

Coffee, Culture and a Skills Upgrade

The first 21 participants from new MP partner country Ethiopia arrived in Germany in November 2019. During the introductory workshop in Addis Ababa, the group had expressed great interest in expanding their intercultural skills and showed enthusiasm for modern technology. It also quickly became clear that the Ethiopian and German cultures are linked by one thing in particular: coffee