#ZEWlive: The Coronavirus Pandemic, Baden-Württemberg and the Path Towards Economic Recovery

The fourth issue of the digital format #ZEWlive will focus on Baden-Württemberg’s perspective on the coronavirus pandemic. The discussion features Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut MdL, Baden-Württemberg Minister of Economic Affairs, and ZEW President Professor Achim Wambach.

As the home of many small and medium-sized enterprises, Baden-Württemberg is strongly affected by the coronavirus crisis. Well over 100,000 companies have applied for the government short-time work scheme, while the unemployment rate has risen by one percentage point year-on-year and more than 20 per cent of the companies plan to cut jobs. The gastronomic sector, the car industry, construction companies and the IT sector are some of the many sectors suffering a heavy blow from the coronavirus outbreak, and so do transportation companies and the performing arts.

In order to help the affected companies survive the crisis and avoid insolvencies, the federal state passed a second, 1.5-billion-euro aid package on 19 May 2020. At the beginning of the crisis, Baden-Württemberg had already put together a first rescue package that provided direct aid for smaller companies. In the meantime, almost 25,000 applications have been approved and more than two billion euros of aid payments disbursed. In addition, loan programmes for small and medium-sized companies, tax relief, and special aid for start-ups have been made available.

However, are these measures enough? Do they actually reach those who need them most? To go one step further: How can the future of the SME sector, the backbone of the regional economy, be secured? What kind of investments do we need now to set the right course for the future? Will the European recovery plan make our economy at the same time sustainable, digital and resilient?

In this #ZEWlive edition, Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut MdL, Minister of Economic Affairs, Labour and Housing in Baden-Württemberg and ZEW President Professor Achim Wambach will be discussing the chances and strategies of Baden-Württemberg as an innovation hub for economic recovery and invite you to join the conversation. You can prepare and send your questions beforehand or ask them directly via chat. Journalist Elif Şenel will be moderating the discussion.

To participate you only need a device with internet and voice access.

We would like to thank the ZEW Sponsors’ Association for its support of the lecture series #ZEWlive.