Germany conference seeks to drum up investment as Berlin courts business leaders

Berlin summit courts investors

The Invest in Germany Summit is scheduled to begin Monday evening in Berlin and run for two days. The government is seeking private money to help address gaps in public-sector funding.

Merz is due to open the conference, which is expected to draw 200 representatives from major German and international companies. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is among the prominent guests. The government wants closer cooperation with Nvidia, whose products are central to the artificial intelligence boom, as Germany tries to catch up in the field.

Costs remain a concern

The German Economic Institute has cautioned against expecting too much from the summit. It said labor, energy and bureaucracy costs deter companies from investing in Germany. IW director Michael Hüther told DPA that a promotional event would not change those conditions quickly. He argued that swift implementation of the government’s reform agenda would be more effective.

Investment trends diverge

Allianz Research reported that investment in Germany dropped 6.4% from 2019 to 2025. Over the same period, investment grew 6.7% across the rest of the eurozone and 20.2% in the United States.

Other Germany developments

Leipzig/Halle airport has returned to normal operations following a security incident in which a fence was breached and police mounted a large operation. The incident came weeks after an explosives-laden drone was found there; German officials believe it was intended for an attack on behalf of Russia.

Volkswagen plans to freeze the salaries of many workers until 2030, media have reported. In Berlin, the Social Democrats and Greens are to decide whether to begin coalition negotiations with the Left Party after exploratory talks ended.