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Investment summit: EUR 230bn in pledges, Amazon plans EUR 16bn – Vollmer insolvent

At the Berlin summit, Merz cited investment pledges of about EUR 230bn. Amazon plans to invest over EUR 16bn in Germany in 2027. Machine maker Vollmer of Biberach has filed for insolvency.

Graphic: investment projects by region, 21.10.2026 (own graphic)
Graphic: TERRA WORLD NEWS (own graphic based on the sources listed)

Data as of: As of 21 October 2026, approx. 07:25

Total listed investments9.37EUR bn
Announced job cuts with number (table)5,929
Summit pledges per ministry (2026)228.6EUR bn
ZEW economic sentiment, Oct 202628.1pts

At the first 'Invest in Germany' summit in Berlin, Chancellor Friedrich Merz cited pledges of about EUR 230bn on Tuesday. The economy ministry counts EUR 228.6bn for more than 70 large projects in 2026 (each over EUR 100m), of which EUR 95.5bn comes from foreign companies. The government did not publish a list of companies and locations. It is also unclear which projects were decided before the summit. The 'Made for Germany' initiative (over EUR 800bn by 2028) had already been known since September.

Amazon plans to invest more than EUR 16bn in Germany in 2027, including EUR 4.8bn in its AWS cloud region in Frankfurt (Hesse). Money also goes to logistics centres (e.g. Bad Hersfeld, Dortmund, Werne, Koblenz) and a robotics lab in Berlin. Only the EUR 4.8bn with a clear location is added to the table total, which rises from EUR 4.57bn to EUR 9.37bn. Investor Brookfield announced 'tens of billions' over five years, and Nvidia stakes in four German start-ups such as Agile Robots (Munich). Neither gave an exact amount.

Cuts and closures: machine maker Vollmer of Biberach (Baden-Württemberg) filed for self-administered insolvency on Tuesday. About 450 staff at its headquarters are affected; operations continue. BMW closed its voluntary severance scheme for administration and development early. According to dpa, about 5,000 staff are likely to have applied – an estimate based on information from company sources; BMW gives no figure. Galeria received a loan from Gordon Brothers, and all 83 stores stay open for now. At Breyden in Ueckermünde, social-plan talks start on Wednesday. Added: in Wustermark (Brandenburg), Virtus celebrated construction of a EUR 3bn data-centre campus on 17 Oct; the project has been known for years.

New data: the ZEW economic sentiment index fell 6.6 points to 28.1 in October (forecast: 30). The assessment of the current situation improved from −47.1 to −35.9 points. ZEW president Achim Wambach said the recovery is not self-sustaining and high energy prices are squeezing real incomes. Producer prices in September were 6.7% higher than a year earlier, energy 14.9% (Federal Statistical Office).

Investment projects and cutbacks (new at top)
State / regionCompany / projectSectorAmount (EUR m)Jobs (− = cuts)Status / date
NationwideFederal economy ministry – 'Invest in Germany' summit tally: EUR 228.6bn for over 70 projects in 2026 (each over EUR 100m), EUR 95.5bn from foreign firms; Merz: about EUR 230bnCross-sector––20 Oct 2026 (dpa via Tagesspiegel 17:14; WiWo 13:15; federal government); no project list published; includes already known projects (e.g. Sanofi) – not in total (double counting)
Hesse (Frankfurt am Main) and nationwideAmazon – over EUR 16bn investment in Germany in 2027, incl. EUR 4.8bn to expand AWS Europe (Frankfurt) region; plus logistics and a robotics lab in BerlinCloud / data centres, logistics4,800–Amazon press release 20 Oct 2026 (Berlin summit); only EUR 4.8bn (AWS Frankfurt) counted, remaining over EUR 11.2bn without site breakdown – not; over 3,000 logistics jobs from previously announced projects – not counted
NationwideBrookfield – 'tens of billions' in Germany over five years (energy, digital infrastructure, industry); about EUR 30bn so farFinancial investor / infrastructure––press release 19 Oct 2026; no exact amount or sites – not in total
Nationwide (Agile Robots: Munich, Bavaria)Nvidia – stakes in Agile Robots, Avelios Medical, Mirelo and Reflex Aerospace; letter of intent with federal government on industrial AIAI / robotics––announced 19 Oct 2026 (Der Aktionär 20 Oct, 10:07; Quartz 20 Oct); amounts not disclosed; almost USD 10bn Europe-wide; federal contribution 'nine-figure' per Handelsblatt (via Euronews) – not in total
Baden-Württemberg (Biberach an der Riss)Vollmer Werke – self-administered insolvency filing (machines for grinding, eroding and laser-processing tools)Machinery––filed 20 Oct 2026 at Ravensburg local court (t-online 15:14 citing Schwäbische Zeitung/SWR; Dr. Web); about 450 staff at HQ affected, about 1,200 worldwide; operations continue; no cut figure – not in total
Bavaria (mainly Munich)BMW – severance scheme (administration, development; production excluded) closed earlyCars––BMW confirmed on 20 Oct 2026 the target was reached 'early' (Handelsblatt 14:52, updated 16:54); per dpa estimate about 5,000 applicants (derived from 8,000 jobs per company sources), Handelsblatt: 'several thousand'; BMW gives no figure – not in total; decisions by mid-November
Brandenburg (Wustermark, Havelland district)Virtus – data-centre campus with up to 9 data centres, up to 300 MW (first one, 25 MW, by end-2028 at the latest)Data centres––LATE ADDITION: construction celebration on 17 Oct 2026 with interior minister Jan Redmann (Unser Havelland, 19 Oct 2026, 23:05); about EUR 3bn, announced years ago (Virtus press release) – not in total; over 100 jobs per minister – not counted
Hesse (Frankfurt am Main, Höchst industrial park)Sanofi – new insulin plant (36,000 m²; replaces existing facility; at least 1.1 t of insulin a year)Pharma2,000–Groundbreaking 19 Oct 2026 (onvista/dpa 10:26; Handelsblatt 12:18; hessenschau 16:01); about EUR 2bn – counted; start-up 2032; state aid EUR 400m (federal, Hesse, Frankfurt; EU-approved in Sep); no new jobs stated – over 4,000 of 6,500 Höchst jobs depend on insulin; also cited by Merz at the summit on 20 Oct
North Rhine-Westphalia (Duisburg-Hüttenheim)HKM (Salzgitter) – electric arc furnace (up to 2.5m t of steel/year) replacing blast furnace routeSteel––Site visit by Wüst, Lies and IG Metall chief Benner on 19 Oct 2026 (Nordbote; Antenne NRW); about EUR 1bn, EUR 200m federal + NRW funding; construction since Aug 2026, operation from 2029; decided in July 2026 – not in total; staff: about 450 left end-Sep, more to follow (per ms-aktuell about 1,700 jobs in total by 2029) – not in total
Nationwide (83 stores; proceedings at Düsseldorf local court)Galeria – investor search in fourth insolvency; all 83 stores (about 11,250 staff) under reviewRetail / department stores––20 Oct 2026: estate loan from Gordon Brothers (amount not stated), approved by court and creditors' committee; supply of goods secured, vouchers valid again (dpa via Handelsblatt 14:20). ms-aktuell 19 Oct 2026 (citing dpa and ZDF); insolvency filing 2 Oct 2026; provisional administrator Frank Kebekus sees closures as likely, number open – not in total
NationwideFederal economy ministry – new round of climate protection contracts: up to EUR 8.7bn in draft 2027 budget (at least EUR 1.5bn for hydrogen)Subsidies / industrial transition––t-online 19 Oct 2026 (12:30, updated 15:39); bidding from May 2027; needs Bundestag and EU state-aid approval; programme – not in total
North Rhine-Westphalia (Cologne-Porz)Deutz – further job cuts at home plant (small engines)Engines / engineering––LATE ADDITION: dpa-AFX 7 Oct 2026 (06:35), citing informed sources: 130–200 jobs by end-2028, up to 300 at most; about 100 already cut; about 2,600 jobs in Cologne; company gives no figure – not in total
Saxony-Anhalt (Harzgerode, Harz district)Bohai Automotive (aluminium castings, mainly for VW) – plant closure in insolvencyCar-parts supplier / aluminium casting–−550LATE ADDITION: staff told on 28 Sep 2026 by insolvency administrator Olaf Spiekermann (MDR; Dr. Web 29 Sep; DWN 1 Oct); closure on 31 Jan 2027; about 550 jobs (IG Metall: about 600) – 550 counted
Saxony-Anhalt (Harzgerode, Wernigerode)Schlote (two companies) – production to end in insolvencyCar-parts supplier / metal machining–−180LATE ADDITION: announced on 28 Sep 2026, production ends on 31 Jan 2027 (insolvency administrator Manuel Sack; Dr. Web 29 Sep 2026); about 180 jobs – 180 counted
Lower Saxony (Mehrum, Peine district)McCain – planned fries factory halted for now (up to 650 new jobs had been planned)Food––LATE ADDITION: halt known since 29 Sep 2026 (dpa/NDR via t-online; topagrar 16 Oct); 'up to one billion euros' had been planned – halted, not in the total; reasons: higher costs, overcapacity, weaker demand
Thuringia (Jena, Ilmenau)Analytik Jena (Endress+Hauser) – new production, lab and office buildings in Jena (c. EUR 64m) and Ilmenau (c. EUR 32m)Analytical / lab instruments96–opened 15 Oct (Jena) and 16 Oct 2026 (Ilmenau), dpa/Dr. Web; c. EUR 96m in total – in sum; 420 staff in Jena, over 80 in Ilmenau; no pledge of new jobs
Saxony (Dresden)Globalfoundries – possible next phase from 2028 (EUR 1.5bn per Handelsblatt); current 'Sprint' expansion EUR 1.1bnSemiconductors––Handelsblatt 16 Oct 2026, 08:21; spokesperson: no concrete plans – not in sum; 'Sprint': topping-out 9 Oct, series production 2027, EUR 495m aid; c. 3,000 staff
Saxony-Anhalt (Magdeburg)Weber Magdeburg (Albert Weber Group) – insolvency filing; cylinder headsCar parts supplier––dpa 16 Oct 2026; c. 120 staff affected; provisional administrator since 14 Oct; Porsche withdrew orders; no cut figure – not in total
Brandenburg (Grünheide, Oder-Spree district)Tesla – new production hall, target up to 1m cars a year (500,000 planned so far)Cars / EVs––dpa 15 Oct 2026; application for 2nd partial permit by end-2026; amount and hall size open; 12,600 staff today, 2,000 + over 1,500 hires planned (no amount, not in total); construction start 2027 targeted (per Entwicklungsstadt, unconfirmed)
North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Berlin (Düsseldorf, Mainz, Berlin)Ubisoft Blue Byte – voluntary leave programme at three studios (about 580 staff)Video games––talks with works councils confirmed 15 Oct 2026; per Game File about 100 jobs (unconfirmed; company gives no number, so not in total); timing open
Bavaria (Freilassing, Upper Bavaria)Kiefel (Brückner Group) – about one third of jobs at headquarters to go; production moving closer to customers in AsiaMachinery (thermoforming)––staff informed 13 Oct 2026; per Passauer Neue Presse about 130 affected (company gives no figure, so not in total); talks with works council, concrete steps by end-Oct 2026; about 100 jobs already cut in 2024; 16 Oct: IG Metall Rosenheim criticises scale, details end-Oct
Baden-Württemberg (Konstanz)Körber Supply Chain Logistics – considering closing sorting-machine production and moving it abroad (about 450 staff at the site)Machinery / logistics equipment––per Südkurier (evening of 12 Oct 2026); no decision, no job figure or timetable from the company; similar plans already in 2024
Hesse (Heppenheim)InfectoPharm – logistics centre expanded by 40% (about 3,000 sq m, over 11,000 sq m in total)Pharma / logistics––press release 14 Oct 2026; 'investment in the millions' without exact amount (not in total); completion by March 2027; no figures on new jobs
North Rhine-Westphalia (Hagen, Krefeld, Siegen, Witten)Deutsche Edelstahlwerke (Swiss Steel) – sale of Hagen (about 300 staff) and Krefeld (about 450) plants; Siegen-Geisweid steelworks paused from mid-2028 (about 400 affected, per IG Metall)Steel / specialty steel––13 Oct 2026 (dpa); correction: IG Metall cites about 400 affected in Siegen (Siegener Zeitung 14 Oct, Rhein-Zeitung 16 Oct 2026), DEW gives no figure; closure of Hagen/Krefeld if no buyer; Witten to become central site; not in total
North Rhine-Westphalia (Paderborn)Claas Industrietechnik – plant expansion (gearboxes, crawler undercarriages)Farm machinery70100Announced 10 Oct 2026; confirmed in press release (EQS) 12 Oct 2026: 'more than EUR 70m', 'more than 100 additional' jobs in coming years
Saxony (Coswig, Meissen district)Walzengießerei Coswig – closure in insolvency, all 170 staff given noticeFoundry / metals–−170Reported 11 Oct 2026 (Berliner Kurier citing Sächsische Zeitung and Bild); production ends late Nov 2026; insolvent since Nov 2025 (then about 220 staff), no buyer
Baden-Württemberg (Bietigheim-Bissingen)Nidec Motors & Actuators – planned closure of productionAuto supplier / electric motors–−116per IG Metall union (6 Oct 2026); by end-2027; sales office to move to Stuttgart area; company gave no reasons
Thuringia (Kahla)Porzellanmanufaktur Kahla – end of porcelain production in insolvencyPorcelain / ceramics–−98announced 7 Oct 2026 (administrator Rolf Rombach); 98 staff lose their jobs (t-online); production until end-Oct 2026, decoration until year-end
Thuringia (Woffleben) and Brandenburg (Brandenburg an der Havel)INVEHO – closure of two freight-wagon workshops (220 + about 80 jobs)Rail / maintenance–−300Brandenburg: known since 24 Sep 2026 (city of Brandenburg, about 80); Woffleben: reported 5 Oct 2026 (nnz, about 220); closure by end-2026; Altenburg site stays
Mecklenburg-W. Pomerania (Rostock)EEW SPC – cuts at offshore-wind monopile plant (of about 1,000)Wind power / steel–−100reported 6 Oct 2026 (Nordkurier, citing media reports); low utilisation expected through 2028
Saxony-Anhalt (Leuna)Aurora – new medical cannabis production hall, capacity doubledPharma–10Opened 8 Oct 2026; investment in the mid single-digit millions (not in total); now 55 staff; Saxony-Anhalt investment agency confirmed 'several million euros' on 13 Oct 2026
Hesse (Sterbfritz, Sinntal municipality)OPmobility – considering moving production of exterior body partsCar parts supplier–−460Announced 7 Oct 2026; about 460 jobs in Sterbfritz by end-2027 (+ about 310 in France per media); not final, talks with employee representatives planned
Bavaria (Taufkirchen an der Vils)Himolla – job cuts in self-administered insolvency (previously 714 jobs)Furniture–−175Reported 6 Oct 2026; notices served end-Sep; about 540 jobs remain
Saxony-Anhalt (Rogätz) and Saxony (Leppersdorf)Theo Müller – closure of Homann sauce plant and Sachsenmilch cheese dairyFood / dairy–−320Announced 6 Oct 2026; Leppersdorf by 31 Dec 2026, Rogätz end-Sep 2027 (about 160 jobs each)
Saxony-Anhalt (Bitterfeld-Wolfen)Verbio – chemical plant for rapeseed-based feedstocks (just under EUR 100m)Chemicals / bio-based10050Started 6 Oct 2026; up to 60,000 t a year; about 130 staff at the site
Thuringia (Erfurt)X-Fab – 'Fab4Micro' chip fab (EUR 300–400m)Semiconductors300100Groundbreaking 5 Oct 2026; aid EUR 127.4m (federal 80.3 + state 47.1); production from end-2028
Mecklenburg-W. Pomerania (Ueckermünde)Breyden – iron foundry closureCar supplier–−320after meeting economy minister W. Blank on Friday evening, Breyden sticks to closure at end-2026 (Nordkurier, 17 Oct 2026, 14:55); social-plan talks from Wednesday (per NDR); company first cited 320 jobs, Nordkurier 'almost 300'; announced 3 Oct 2026; 20 Oct: social-plan talks begin on 21 Oct; Silbitz Group (Torgelow) ready to hire staff (Berliner Kurier, 20 Oct 2026, 15:32)
Saxony-Anhalt (Leuna)Leuna-Polyamid – insolvency and shutdownChemicals–−440Proceedings opened 1 Oct 2026; most jobs end 31 Jan 2027
Bavaria (Irlbach-Straßkirchen)BMW – battery plant (Gen6)Cars / batteries1,0001,600Opened, series production reported 2 Oct 2026; jobs at full capacity
Bavaria (Munich, Dingolfing)BMW – new 3 Series / i3 production (about half of EUR 2bn)Cars1,000–Announced 30 Sep 2026
Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Rhineland-PalatinateBiontech – closure of Tübingen, Marburg, Idar-ObersteinPharma–−1,800Announced 28 Sep 2026; closures 2027–2028
Bavaria (Nuremberg)Bosch Mobility – half of jobs cutCar supplier–−900Announced 28 Sep 2026; by end-2029
Economy: latest data (Federal Statistical Office; ZEW; forecast: federal government)
Indicatorvs prior month (%)vs year earlier (%)Published
ZEW economic sentiment, October 2026: 28.1 points (Sep 34.7; forecast 30) – index, not %––20 Oct 2026
– ZEW current situation: −35.9 points (Sep −47.1)––20 Oct 2026
Producer prices, September 2026 (excl. energy +3.2%) +1.9 % +6.7 %20 Oct 2026
– energy, September 2026 +5.8 % +14.9 %20 Oct 2026
Hospitality sales, August 2026 (real) −1.3 % −4.2 %20 Oct 2026
Order backlog, manufacturing, August 2026 (covers 9.0 months) +0.5 % +10.7 %19 Oct 2026
Building permits for dwellings, August 2026 (20,600)– +6.8 %16 Oct 2026
– January–August 2026 (169,400)– +12.1 %16 Oct 2026
Local business tax (Gewerbesteuer) revenue 2025: EUR 76.4bn, record (vs 2024; Baden-Württemberg −7.2%, Saxony −6.9%)– +1.5 %15 Oct 2026
Agricultural producer prices, August 2026 (potatoes +61.5%, milk −23.9%; largest monthly rise since March 2022) +5.5 % −7.0 %14 Oct 2026
Wholesale prices, September 2026 (mineral oil products +48.8%, non-ferrous metals +24.9%, chemicals +16.4%) +1.9 % +8.7 %14 Oct 2026
Government autumn projection: GDP growth 2026 (spring: 0.5%; 2027: 1.1%)– +1.3 %8 Oct 2026
Inflation, September 2026 – final (core 2.4%, energy +14.9%, food +0.4%, services +2.7%) +0.6 % +3.3 %13 Oct 2026
Company insolvencies, July 2026 (2,373; highest July figure in 13 years)– +8.0 %9 Oct 2026
Consumer insolvencies, July 2026 (7,111)– −5.9 %9 Oct 2026
Exports, August 2026 (EUR 137.6bn) −0.8 % +6.2 %8 Oct 2026
Imports, August 2026 (EUR 118.1bn) +0.9 % +5.5 %8 Oct 2026
– exports to the US (EUR 13.5bn) −6.3 % +22.6 %8 Oct 2026
– imports from China (EUR 16.8bn) +11.0 %–8 Oct 2026
Industrial production, total, August 2026 +2.0 % +2.3 %7 Oct 2026
– construction, August 2026 +9.3 %–7 Oct 2026
– car industry, August 2026 −5.4 %–7 Oct 2026
– machinery, August 2026 +5.3 %–7 Oct 2026
– energy-intensive industry, August 2026 −0.5 % −2.1 %7 Oct 2026
Industrial production, July 2026 (revised) −1.2 % −1.8 %7 Oct 2026
Industrial orders, August 2026 −10.6 %–6 Oct 2026
Unemployment rate by state, September 2026 (Federal Employment Agency, as of 30 Sep 2026)
StateSeptember 2026 (%)September 2025 (%)Unemployed (thousand)
Germany6.46.32,994.0
Bavaria4.2––
Baden-Württemberg4.74.7306.1
North Rhine-Westphalia7.97.8792.7
Saxony-Anhalt8.07.888.0
Berlin10.410.3223.8
Bremen11.2––

For information only, not investment advice. Prices as of the time stated, not real-time quotes.

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