The German Chancellor Olaf Scholz paid a visit to the new Samson site in Offenbach am Main. During a guided tour, he was briefed on the progress of the MainChange project, which involves a 400 million euro investment by Samson to build new headquarters in Offenbach. The Chancellor’s visit highlights the importance of lighthouse projects like Samson’s to safeguard the future of German industry.
Dr. Andreas Widl, Chief Executive Officer of Samson: “MainChange underlines our commitment to Germany as a center of industry. In times of uncertainty and volatility, this project represents stability for the region, our workforce and their families. Our job guarantee granted until the end of 2028 shows that Samson takes its role as an employer seriously. German SMEs require clear and reliable economic policies – today and tomorrow – to create unbureaucratic structures and entrepreneurial freedom to allow companies like us to continue championing ‘Made in Germany’ branded quality.”
Dr. Widl called for faster export licensing to speed up the time-to-market for innovative products and technologies to boost German competitiveness on the global market. He explained: “Excessive documentation and approval processes (such as due diligence obligations in supply chains or ESG sustainability reporting) put a huge strain on our business resources. We would much rather devote our time and energy on innovating and making our business operations truly sustainable.”
“Germany as an export nation must focus on its strengths: talent, technology, quality, efficiency, international value chains.” Dr. Widl also stressed the importance of a more productive work culture in industrial SMEs, which are renowned for their performance, dependability and responsibility. He declared: “An even shorter working week would weaken Germany as an industrial hub.” He explained that Germany needed flexible working hour models to help grow the economy while meeting the needs of the employers and employees in equal measures. Rounding off his comments, Dr. Widl spoke in favor of affordable energy prices and reliable framework conditions to future-proof German industry during the energy transition process.
The German Chancellor’s visit to Samson underscores the key role of German SMEs: they foster innovation, drive growth and secure jobs in Germany.