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The French pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis has high expectations for its newly founded diabetes division in Frankfurt. The patent expiry in 2017 for the diabetes medication “Lantus”, which is being produced in Frankfurt-Höchst and generates the highest turnover within the company, will definitely be a challenge. Nonetheless, the company is expecting to balance the impending loss in turnover with new products. This would ultimately even strengthen the business location Frankfurt-Höchst.

Prospects to keep the size of the “Lantus” work force stable until 2020 are good despite of competition from the generic industry, as the imitation of biotec pharmaceuticals such as “Lantus” is much more complex than the imitation of chemically produced medication.

17 May 2010

Germany / Equal Opportunities

Women knock at the door of Executive Management

German companies have realized that there are too many males in key management positions and as a general rule they are “too German” as well. This is to be changed. The buzz word is “diversity”. Progress has been made lately in this respect. E.ON has appointed Regine Stachelhaus, 55, as member of the supervisory board. Siemens has increased the quota of women on the supervisory board by appointing 54-year-old Brigitte Ederer. Up to that point Barbara Kux Platz, member of the Siemens supervisory board since 2008, had been the only female member of a supervisory board of a German company listed in the DAX.

Companies like Deutsche Telekom or E.ON are trying to fight this deficit with the implementation of a women quota. Telekom’s ambitious goal is to reach 30% by 2015 while E.ON wants to reach 10% by 2012. Other companies are saying that while they do recognize an economic imperative to open career opportunities for women they want to restrain from putting up quotas and decide strictly according to the qualification of the prospective candidate.

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 15 May 2010, No. 111, page 13

05 May 2010

Germany / Labor Market

Economy intensifies training for employees to fight the lack of skilled personnel

Despite of the economic crisis many companies are investing more in extended vocational training. A study prognosticates already for 2015 a lack in human resources of up to three million. In the medium term every second company will secure skilled personnel through vocational training. However, companies are seeking perfectly fitting and financially attractive offers. Often, public monies can only be secured going through high bureaucratic hurdles, which is especially true for monies from the European Social Fund.

The economy excoriates increasing bureaucracy in connection with data protection and demands to keep an eye on the cost-benefit relation. In particular, many companies believe that the planned stepping up in data protection for employees as well as plans for “data letters” are going too far.

Government officials and Commissioner for Data Protection Peter Schaar are discussing the effects of these plans with representatives of the economy at the Data Protection Conference 2010.

Data protection scandals, for example at German Telekom or Lidl, triggered a government bill that calls for “data letters”, which show exactly what kind of personal information is being kept. Furthermore, the possibilities of employers to order health check-ups for employees will be restricted, while access of employers to work related e-mails will be facilitated in order to fight corruption.


	NEWS
	31. January 2011 Award Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany conferred on ICCA CEO, Prof. Dr. Manfred Pohl The founder and CEO of ICCA, Professor Manfred Pohl, was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (Officer’s Cross) by the Hessian Secretary of Justice, Integration and Europe, Jörg-Uwe Hahn, on 31^st January 2011. His commitment to society through his founding and voluntary engagement for the non-profit organisations Institute for Corporate Culture Affairs, European Association for Banking and Financial History, Frankfurter Kultur Komitee, Konvent für Deutschland, and Frankfurter Zukunftsrat was honoured in a ceremony in Frankfurt. During the award presentation, Mr. Hahn praised Professor Pohl’s commitment to the cohesion of society as well as the banking sector. Amongst those who spoke in praise of Prof. Pohl were Councillor Markus Frank (leader of the business committee), who honoured Prof. Pohl’s support of culture in the Frankfurt region, and Brother Paulus Terwitte. ICCA’s General Manager, Ms. Jane Uhlig, underlined Prof. Pohl’s continuous quest to connect people from different cultures and disciplines. The prize winner himself thanked his wife and daughter for all their support and promised that he still had enough ideas for the coming thirty years.
	03. December 2010 Sponsorship German Sponsoring Trends of 2010 Sports sponsorship was the most popular type of sponsorship in Germany in 2010, followed by cultural sponsorship. The latter, however, is decreasing in popularity whereas sponsorship with an ecological focus is regarded a potential growth area. These are just a few of the findings in a study newly released by the agency BBDO Live in cooperation with Prof. Hermanns of the Universität der BundeswehrMünchen. Questionnaires were sent to 4000 top-selling companies in Germany; the final study is based on 597 responses. According to the study, 81.1% of all companies sponsor sports initiatives, 66.7% are involved in cultural sponsorship, 59.3% in social activities, 51.7% in educational projects, 20.3% in economical sponsoring and 13.4% are committed to media sponsoring. In order to make the fundingmore visible to the public, sponsorscommunicate their actions on the company’s website or through sponsorship links. Nevertheless, despite high sums spent on sponsoring, almost one third of companies do not monitor the success of their commitment. A particular focus of the studyis the connection between sponsorship and CSR. In this context, half of all companies stated that they were committed to CSR. Mostly, the CSR commitment lies with either the Marketing or PR department (29% and 23.9% respectively) or with the managing board (24.2%). When asked about cooperation partners in the field of CSR, 70 out of 100 companies answered that they cooperate with local associations and initiatives. BBDO live GmbH and V.i.S.d.P. Dino Büscher (eds.), Sponsoring Trends 2010. F Full text available under http://www.bbdo-live.com
	30. November 2010 Business and economy CSR Mobility Prize awarded in Frankfurt On 15 November 2010 the German Environmental Management Association, the German transport society “VCD” and the magazine “Der Mobilitätsmanager”awardedten companies with excellent environment-friendly practices with the second CSR Mobility Prize. Among large-scale companies, the 2010 winner is Nokia Siemens Networks. This IT service provider from Munich undertookvarious eco-friendly initiatives for instance byintroducing video conferences and guidelines for the pollutant emission of company cars. Through the video conferences, Nokia Siemens Networks was able to reduce its yearly CO₂ emission by 8000 tonnes. The travel agency FCm Travel Solutions and the consulting agency Triple Innovawon the CSR Mobility Prize in the categories SMEs and small-scale businesses for their exemplary use of public transport. Finally, Yvonne Göckemeyer’s personal commitment to the environment within the Plan Blatt company was acknowledged with a special award. „Nachhaltigwirtschaften.net, 30.12.2010“
	22 November 2010 Business and Economy New International Standard for Social Responsibility from the ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) 1 November 2010 saw the launch of one of the most eagerly awaited ISO International Standards of recent years, ISO 26000, which provides guidance to both business and public sector organizations on social responsibility (SR). According to the new standard, ISO 26000, the perception and reality of an organization's performance on social responsibility can influence, among other things: Competitive advantage Reputation Ability to attract and retain workers or members, customers, clients or users Maintenance of employees' morale, commitment and productivity View of investors, owners, donors, sponsors and the financial community Relationship with companies, governments, the media, suppliers, peers, customers and the community in which it operates. ISO makes clear that ISO 26000 is a voluntary guidance standard that is not to be used for certification. However, there is already speculation in the business press that the standard may evolve if not as a result of government legislation, then as an expectation of compliance among suppliers and customers. ISO 26000 provides guidance for all types of organization, regardless of their size or location, on: 1. Concepts, terms and definitions related to social responsibility 2. Background, trends and characteristics of social responsibility 3. Principles and practices relating to social responsibility 4. Core subjects and issues of social responsibility 5. Integrating, implementing and promoting socially responsible behaviour throughout the organization and, through its policies and practices, within its sphere of influence 6. Identifying and engaging with stakeholders 7. Communicating commitments, performance and other information related to social responsibility. The standard is already being implemented by national ISO partner organisations. In addition, numerous seminars and conferences are being organized to assist businesses prepare for and benefit from ISO 26000. The ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is the world’s largest developer and publisher of international standards. Based in Geneva, Switzerland, it has developed over eighteen thousand standards since it was founded in 1946. You can read the whole ISO press release here: http://www.iso.org/iso/pressrelease.htm?refid=Ref1366 For further information on national standards see for example www.ansi.org (USA), www.bsigroup.com (UK) or www.din.de (Germany).
	16 November 2010 Economy Josef Ackermann awarded “European Banker of the Year” The Chairman of the ICCA Board of Patrons and CEO of Deutsche Bank, Josef Ackermann, was named “European Banker of the Year” at the Euro Finance Week in Frankfurt on 15 November 2010. This prize, which is awarded by the journalist association The Group of 20 + 1, honours Prof. Ackermann’s achievements for Deutsche Bankduring the global economic crisis. For four years he has been the CEO of Deutsche Bank and significantly contributed to the bank’s development as global player on the international financial market. DW-World.de, 16.11.2010
	25 May 2010 Germany / Labor Market Employment agency wants to cut down 20.000 jobs Until 2014, Germany’s biggest agency, “the Federal Employment Agency”, wants to make redundant more than every sixth employee. Operational announcements are not intended, it’s rather a question of not extending temporary contracts, which are going to run out in 2012 and 2013. Consequences of the economic and financial crisis are putting a considerable strain on the Employment Agency. They expect a deficit of more than 30 Million EUR by the year 2014. The intended reduction in personnel is mainly based on cyclical assumptions. Should the economy – as anticipated by the government – grow by more than 1.5% a reduction of unemployment to 3.2 million is expected. Consequently the demand for personnel would decline as well. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 25 May 2010, No. 117, p.11 Germany / Labor Market Opel reached agreement with Works Council on billions savings package Following month long negotiations Opel’s top management, the Works Council and the Labor Union have agreed upon a restructuring plan. In order to support the recapitalization plan Opel’s employees are going to waive 1.3 Billion Euros. Now, finally the last formal precondition for obtaining a most controversial billion-Euro-guarantee from the government is met. As a countermove to the sacrifices in wages, Opel’s Chief Executive Reilly promised tangible investments that would contribute to sustaining the endangered jobs at the business locations of Bochum and Eisenach. Furthermore the company will be transformed from a GmbH into a new legal form, an AG. This is a concession to the employees as in an AG the American mother company, General Motors, will not be able to exercise such a direct influence that it is currently having. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 25 May, No. 117, p.15
	18 May 2010 Germany/Job Market Sanofi Aventis puts its hope into Frankfurt as business location The French pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis has high expectations for its newly founded diabetes division in Frankfurt. The patent expiry in 2017 for the diabetes medication “Lantus”, which is being produced in Frankfurt-Höchst and generates the highest turnover within the company, will definitely be a challenge. Nonetheless, the company is expecting to balance the impending loss in turnover with new products. This would ultimately even strengthen the business location Frankfurt-Höchst. Prospects to keep the size of the “Lantus” work force stable until 2020 are good despite of competition from the generic industry, as the imitation of biotec pharmaceuticals such as “Lantus” is much more complex than the imitation of chemically produced medication. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 18 Mai 2010, No. 113, page 16 17 May 2010 Germany / Equal Opportunities Women knock at the door of Executive Management German companies have realized that there are too many males in key management positions and as a general rule they are “too German” as well. This is to be changed. The buzz word is “diversity”. Progress has been made lately in this respect. E.ON has appointed Regine Stachelhaus, 55, as member of the supervisory board. Siemens has increased the quota of women on the supervisory board by appointing 54-year-old Brigitte Ederer. Up to that point Barbara Kux Platz, member of the Siemens supervisory board since 2008, had been the only female member of a supervisory board of a German company listed in the DAX. Companies like Deutsche Telekom or E.ON are trying to fight this deficit with the implementation of a women quota. Telekom’s ambitious goal is to reach 30% by 2015 while E.ON wants to reach 10% by 2012. Other companies are saying that while they do recognize an economic imperative to open career opportunities for women they want to restrain from putting up quotas and decide strictly according to the qualification of the prospective candidate. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 15 May 2010, No. 111, page 13 05 May 2010 Germany / Labor Market Economy intensifies training for employees to fight the lack of skilled personnel Despite of the economic crisis many companies are investing more in extended vocational training. A study prognosticates already for 2015 a lack in human resources of up to three million. In the medium term every second company will secure skilled personnel through vocational training. However, companies are seeking perfectly fitting and financially attractive offers. Often, public monies can only be secured going through high bureaucratic hurdles, which is especially true for monies from the European Social Fund. Handelsblatt, 05 Mai 2010, No. 85, page 15 Germany / Data Protection Serious Data Protection Scandals The economy excoriates increasing bureaucracy in connection with data protection and demands to keep an eye on the cost-benefit relation. In particular, many companies believe that the planned stepping up in data protection for employees as well as plans for “data letters” are going too far. Government officials and Commissioner for Data Protection Peter Schaar are discussing the effects of these plans with representatives of the economy at the Data Protection Conference 2010. Data protection scandals, for example at German Telekom or Lidl, triggered a government bill that calls for “data letters”, which show exactly what kind of personal information is being kept. Furthermore, the possibilities of employers to order health check-ups for employees will be restricted, while access of employers to work related e-mails will be facilitated in order to fight corruption. Handelsblatt, 05 May 2010, No. 85, page 20
	13 April 2010 Job Market SAP guarantees R&D jobs until 2014 Some thousands of employees of the software company SAP have gotten a job guarantee despite of declining profits. The reason for this was a restructuring of the development department aimed at streamlining the work flow. With this agreement the management wants to send a clear signal to the approximately 5000 employees affected by these measures. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, No. 84, Monday, 12 April 2010, p.17 Economy France needs mid-tier business resembling Germany’s The French economic council „Conseil d’analyse économique” (CAE) has made out the structure of the French business landscape as a main reason for the country’s weak economy, saying that the absence of small and medium-sized businesses causes various problems such as unemployment and low investment. Furthermore the financial crisis has shown that small businesses are more committed to keeping their employees. This undesirable development is seen as a result of France’s centralistic organizational structure. During a modernization period following 1945 the focus was on creating large scale businesses and on the centralization of processes. In contrast to that Germany’s federalist system is described as always having favoured the development of mid-tier business creating an entrepreneurial spirit in the process that lead to more people daring to start their own business. Handelsblatt, No. 70, Tuesday, 13 April 2010, p.31 Environment China is doubling wind power China has replaced Germany as the second largest producer of wind energy. The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) in Brussels is reporting that by doubling its production China is now trailing only the USA that are producing approximately thirty-five gigawatt. China is striving to become the driving force in the development of wind energy and has set itself the goal of producing 150 gigawatt by 2020. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, No. 85, Tuesday, 13 April 2010, p.10 Financial Crisis Deutschlandfonds – Billions of Euros waiting to be spent The Deutschlandfonds for the rescue of businesses in need has only been used up slightly. Approximately 12000 businesses have applied for credits and guarantees adding up to a volume of about 11 billion Euros, the equivalent of 10% of withdrawable money. This program has contributed to saving some 130000 jobs. Chambers of commerce, banks and credit institutions are rating the Fonds mostly positively. Still the level of awareness of the program needs to be raised and the application process has to be simplified, as a secretary in the Department of Economy points out. Sueddeutsche Zeitung, No. 84, Tuesday, 13 April 2010, p.17
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