Germany news: Berlin conference seeks to drum up investment
The "Invest in Germany Summit" is set to kick off in Berlin as the government looks to fill gaps in public funding. DW has more.
On Monday, October 19, 2026, a two-day conference called the Invest in Germany Summit began in Berlin, as the government seeks to encourage private-sector investment to bolster public spending. Chancellor Merz will deliver the opening address, attended by approximately 200 representatives from major German and international corporations.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is one of the notable keynote speakers. The German government aims to collaborate closely with Nvidia, whose chips are vital to the artificial intelligence boom, to help Germany catch up in the sector. However, the German Economic Institute (IW) cautioned against overly optimistic expectations from the summit, stating that Germany's burden of high labor costs, energy expenses, and bureaucratic red tape makes it an unattractive destination for investment in the near future.
IW director Michael Hüther told the DPA news agency, "It would be naive to think the summit will alter this in the short term; companies don't choose Germany based on a promotional event. What matters is whether they can make money here." A recent study by Allianz Research revealed that investment in Germany declined by 6.4% from 2019 to 2025, while it increased by 6.7% in the rest of the EU and a remarkable 20.2% in the United States.
Written by urgent.news from DW News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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