News

Networking: a valuable tool for South African SMEs

Under the theme ‘Connection creates Values’, over 70 South African entrepreneurs who are all former participants of Partnering in Business with Germany met in Johannesburg in mid-September. The event focused not only on networking but also on the sharing of views and expertise on foreign trade financing.

Visits to companies of successful programme participants in Cairo

Dialogue with former programme participants was the focus during the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action’s Deputy Head of Division of Partnering in Business with Germany Manuel Palz’s four-day trip to Cairo. The trip included a certificate handover ceremony, company visits and a reception with the Federal President – with Partnering in Business with Germany alumni showcasing the successful cooperation that has emerged from their participation in the programme.

Mexican women entrepreneurs very successful

On 13 September 2024, the designated Director-General at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) Dr Christian Forwick welcomed a group of 19 Mexican women entrepreneurs to Berlin. The reception marked the end of their stay in Germany and highlighted the intensified bilateral cooperation in the context of the Partnering in Business with Germany programme in 2024.

Partnering in Business with Germany promotes foreign trade with companies from Uzbekistan

Opening the 6th meeting of the German-Uzbek steering committee of Partnering in Business with Germany in Tashkent on 28 August 2024, Mr Tengiz Asanov, deputy head of the department for investment climate and rating at the Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan, said: “Germany has always been one of the most reliable, important and versatile partners of Uzbekistan regarding trade, business, technologies and investment.”

15 years of Partnering in Business with Germany with Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is a promising growth market in Central Asia. German companies are therefore increasingly keen to benefit from the region’s growth potential and are using Kazakhstan as an entry market into the region. The fifth German-Kazakh steering committee took place in the capital Astana on 19 August to mark the 15th anniversary of the Partnering in Business with Germany programme with the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Video: Visit to trade fair by Egyptian executives seals partnership

Egypt is Africa’s second-largest economy, and offers significant potential for cooperation between German and Egyptian firms in the fields of climate action, renewable energy and water and waste management.

Searching for partners in new markets

On 4 July 2024, 80 entrepreneurs from the Southeast Asian country of Vietnam and from Germany took part in an online seminar to gain insights into the Vietnamese market and establish new business contacts in Vietnam and in Germany.

PG presents itself at the Foreign Trade Day Hesse

The 7th Foreign Trade Day Hesse under the motto “Regional networks – global success” took place at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) Frankfurt on 9 July 2024. Partnering in Business with Germany (PG) also participated in the event on international trade with the aim to make its services more visible for small and medium-sized enterprises in the German state of Hesse.

Strategy workshop of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and the GIZ PG Team

Staff members of the division at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) which is in charge of Partnering in Business with Germany and representatives of the management team of the GIZ programme met for a two-day strategy workshop in Berlin on 24 and 25 June 2024. The focus was on the further development of the programme.

Logistical solutions as an answer to new needs of businesses

More than 100 alumni of Partnering in Business with Germany and representatives of the Mongolian Ministry of Economy and Development and of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action met in Ulaanbaatar on 13 June to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the programme with Mongolia.

Alumna from Chile accompanies president’s delegation to Berlin

 A Partnering in Business with Germany alumna from Chile, Valentina Varela, was part of the Chilean president’s delegation that attended the German-Chilean Economic Forum in Berlin on 11 June. The half-day event focused on such topics as environmentally friendly energy and critical raw materials.

Uzbekistan benefits from German technologies on the path to climate neutrality

On 16 May, around 60 Uzbek PG alumni met with representatives of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Uzbekistan (CCIU), the Business School under the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan and the German business community at a networking event organised by Partnering in Business with Germany in Tashkent.

“Strong women make a strong economy”

On 17 May 2024 Parliamentary State Secretary Dr Brantner received 25 female entrepreneurs from the “Women in Business” group from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).

Successful development of expertise for cooperation with German companies: Partnering in Business with Germany (PG) in Turkmenistan

Almost 50 former PG participants from the agricultural, textile, healthcare, logistics and transport sectors took part in the networking event in Ashgabat on 30 April.

Extension by three years: continuation of support of business initiation with German SMEs for South African business executives

South Africa and Germany have extended their cooperation in the context of Partnering in Business with Germany by another three years. Lerato Mataboge, Deputy Director-General at the South African Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic), and German Ambassador Andreas Peschke signed the respective joint declaration of intent in Pretoria on 24 April 2024. 

The Partnering in Business with Germany (PG) SME programme at the 9th International Cooperation Exchange in Barleben

Partnering in Business with Germany is an instrument of foreign trade and investment promotion of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. It is primarily aimed at German SMEs seeking to internationalise their businesses.

Gaining a better understanding of German business culture: Partnering in Business with Germany celebrates 15 years of cooperation with Moldova

On 26 April, Partnering in Business with Germany and its long-standing implementing partner, the Moldovan Chamber of Industry and Commerce, celebrated 15 years of cooperation. 

‘Bridging Managers’ connecting Germany and Ukraine – a successful pilot project enters its second round

Eliminating obstacles – building bridges: this is a brief summary of Partnering in Business with Germany’s special initiative for Ukraine that enabled 37 refugee managers from Ukraine to do eight-week internships in German companies in Berlin and Düsseldorf in autumn 2023.

Sustainability solutions from German industry: executives from Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova gain insights

“Green economy” was the focus of executives from Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova who visited Germany in February as part of Partnering in Business with Germany.

Partnering in Business with Germany promotes foreign business with Ukrainian companies

Six years after the last bilateral meeting in Kyiv, the 12th meeting of the German-Ukrainian steering committee of Partnering in Business with Germany was held on 21 March at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action in Berlin. Due to the coronavirus pandemic and then the war, the programme had to be interrupted for a significant period of time.

Climate action as a shared task: How Vietnamese participants of Partnering in Business with Germany are helping governments and companies meet their climate goals

From 8-10 March 2024, around 100 alumni of the Partnering in Business with Germany programme met with representatives of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), the Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the German business community for a networking event in Vietnam. The event, entitled “Shaping the future: Digital solutions towards climate neutrality”, provided Vietnamese entrepreneurs with a platform for exchange and opportunity to network with German businesses in Vietnam.

Sustainable energy: Thomas Preuhs Holding in dialogue with Central Asian managers

The spotlight during the exchange at the Preuhs Campus was on technologies aimed at utilizing renewable energies in building energy supply and fostering corporate sustainability, engaging managers from Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.

Energy-efficient food dehydration for farmers from all over the world

Executives from Kyrgyzstan learned about quality assurance in the production of innovative food dryers and technology management during a visit to the German company INNOTECH Ingenieursgesellschaft GmbH.

From Design Thinking to the new entrepreneurs’ club in Kyrgyzstan

A networking event for the new graduates from Kyrgyzstan took place on 13 and 14 December in Bishkek. The varied programme included a review of the successful collaborations between the Programme participants and German companies. Based on their experiences, initial ideas were also developed for the further networking of the Kyrgyz former Programme participants.

We are Making a Contribution: Trust Between German and Mexican Companies is Growing

To mark the 10th anniversary of the bilateral Partnering in Business with Germany Programme with Mexico, a networking event was held in Mexico City on 7 and 8 December 2023 under the motto “Forming long-term partnerships”.

The event got off to a turbulent start – with an earthquake. Fortunately, everyone in attendance escaped with a scare. After the alarm was cancelled, the event kicked off with welcoming remarks from Irais Barreto, Director of Global Economic Intelligence at the Mexican Ministry of Economy.

Partnering in Business with Germany supports companies promoting circular economy

A circular economy is becoming increasingly important globally and the need for technologies and solutions for a closed-loop circular model is increasing – using resources more efficiently, questioning consumption and recycling resources. Having this in mind, the industry group Circular Economy from India visited German companies during the BMWK program Partnering in Business with Germany to exchange ideas on a circular economy.