Weaknesses in the infrastructure endanger Germany as a business location

What we at Xpert have been warning about for years: The state of central infrastructure in Germany is paralyzing the business of many companies. This is the result of a survey by the German Economic Institute among more than 1,000 companies in the Federal Republic. Accordingly, closed motorways, overloaded ports and unreliable rail freight transport noticeably affect business processes.

Around 27 percent of the companies surveyed stated that their operations were significantly affected. That is around eleven percentage points more than at the last time of the survey in 2018. A further 52 percent of the participating companies reported minor impairment. The proportion of companies that are not influenced by poor infrastructure has fallen from 41 percent to just 21 percent since 2013.

In general, larger companies that, for example, use the transport network much more frequently are particularly affected. According to IW Cologne, the greatest disruption continues to be caused by inadequate road networks. These problems have built up over many years due to underfunding. However, the biggest changes compared to 2018 can be seen in energy supply and shipping traffic.

Suitable for:

• SSP – Structure Service Provider – structure service provider

Today's global economy is based on a number of key industries that are crucial to the functioning of our society. These include, among others, the automotive industry, the aerospace industry, the shipbuilding industry and information and communication technologies (ICT).

These industries are critical to our economies and provide a variety of products and services without which our everyday lives would no longer function. They also provide an important part of our export-oriented economic performance.

More about it here:

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Our key industries need a strong infrastructure to ensure their competitiveness.

In many regions of the country there is no adequate transport infrastructure. Road networks are often outdated and congested, leading to traffic jams and long journey times. Airports and ports are also often overloaded, hindering the country's economic strength. This situation must finally be changed!

What will be crucial for the future will be how we secure the infrastructure of our key industries! We must improve our transport routes and create new transport options so that our companies can work more efficiently. At the same time, we must strive to make our ports and airports fit for the future and ensure that these places can continue to serve as an ideal starting point for trade and change.

One of the most important factors for the future viability of an economy is the security of its key industries. These industries are the backbone of the economy and form the basis of a country's prosperity. Without them the country would fall into a deep recession.

But in recent years, we have seen again and again how vulnerable these industries are to disruption and attack. In Germany, BER Airport is an example of how expensive and difficult it can be to operate a key industry.

Cyber ​​security is also a big problem. Data leaks from banks or other companies occur again and again, which can have serious consequences. These vulnerabilities must be addressed urgently to ensure our key industries continue to function.

But how can we secure the infrastructure of our key industries? This is a question that should concern us all. Here are some ideas:

1) Invest in the security of your corporate IT: One of the biggest problems today is the lack of security of corporate IT systems. Many companies do not invest enough in the security of their IT systems and are therefore vulnerable to hacker attacks or data theft. Therefore, invest in a good firewall and security software and keep your systems up to date.

2) Train your employees in cyber security: Another major problem is the misconduct of employees who do not know enough about cyber security. Often it is enough for an employee to open an unsecured email or pass on a password to strangers to put the entire company at risk. Therefore, regularly train your employees in cyber security and ensure that all employees are informed about the latest security measures.

3) Seek external help: If you do not have enough resources to ensure the security of your infrastructure yourself, seek help from external service providers. These service providers have the necessary know-how and experience to help you secure your infrastructure. In addition, they can also carry out regular monitoring tasks to ensure that your infrastructure remains secure in the future.