A win-win for all

At a jubilee event in late 2023, the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck emphasised that the programme was about partnering in terms of business relations, but also in terms of a political partnership – and ideally, when things go well, about a partnership of people, too.

Every year, the programme attracts around 1,400 German companies that are looking to tap into foreign markets. So far, around 17,000 managers and decision-makers from the participating countries have taken part.

A focus on sustainable business practices

The partnership programme for business cooperation is a response to the challenges of our time. Its focus since the 2020s has been on climate protection, the supply of raw materials and energy and the diversification of supply chains. Since then, activities have been expanded to include sectors that are reducing CO2 emissions and contributing to decarbonisation.

Faced with Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the programme used its many years of experience and partnerships in the region to implement a Special Initiative in 2023. Ukrainian experts and managers living in Germany were brought together with German companies through job shadowing arrangements. The special initiative thus contributed indirectly to Ukraine’s reconstruction and the country’s accession to the EU single market.

How does the exchange work precisely?

Managers and entrepreneurs in the participating countries apply by submitting concrete business ideas. Every year, around 50 groups of 20 participants are selected from the pool of applicants. The programme for international managers lasts around eight months in total. A key component is a two-week stay in Germany, where participants have the opportunity to gain first-hand experience of Germany as a business location and actively approach German companies.

Prior to this, participants are prepared in-depth for cooperation with German companies. The entrepreneurs familiarise themselves with German business culture. They learn about German quality standards, environmental protection guidelines and fair working conditions – important elements for successful cooperation with German partners. This introductory phase usually takes place online, and a digital learning and communication platform was developed for this purpose.

‘The programme helped me understand what makes Germans tick,’ explained participant Rania Oraby in an akzente interview: if you understand the other side, it’s easier to build trust and therefore stable business relationships.

Within the partner countries, the programme is highly regarded in terms of its economic policy value. Partner governments are responsible for advertising the programme, for the selection process for eligible companies and also for preparing programme participants. This underlines the uniqueness of the programme and the partnership-based cooperation, also at the level of the political partners and implementing organisations.