BIO Deutschland represented at SME Alliance’s meeting with FDP chairman Christian Lindner

The partners of the SME Alliance met with FDP chairman Christian Lindner on 22 February at the BVMW’s national headquarters. The SME Alliance gave Lindner a briefing on the issues of most concern to small and medium-sized enterprises in the Landtag and Bundestag elections.

Better financing opportunities for new businesses and SMEs, a key issue in the eyes of BIO Deutschland, was discussed intensively. It was stressed that the declining rate of new business formation should be a warning sign for the government to take action to improve the environment in Germany for new businesses. This includes important measures such as introducing tax incentives for research while maintaining project funding levels, supporting the influx of more venture capital for high-risk research and guaranteeing legal certainty to businesses that use innovative financing options such as crowdfunding. Viola Bronsema, Managing Director of BIO Deutschland, discussed these proposals with the chairmen, directors and presidents of the associations of other sectors with a high concentration of SMEs. Lindner understood the importance of these demands.

Other topics of discussion during the meeting were the expansion of digital infrastructure, more flexibility on the labour market and increasing competition by reducing bureaucracy.