Wuppertal Business Leaders Protest Economic Decline Amidst Alarming Industry Figures

On December 22, 2025, business leaders in Wuppertal staged a powerful protest organized by the Bergische Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) to spotlight the severe economic challenges facing local industry. Entrepreneurs symbolically stood in the Wupper river, illustrating the grim situation as many companies feel they are at risk of "going under."

The protest was fueled by stark statistics: 60% of industrial companies in the region are underutilized, while 41% report dissatisfaction with current business figures. Nationally, the Institute of the German Economy (IW) disclosed that 36% of companies plan job cuts next year, and 33% intend to reduce investments. Meanwhile, North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) loses approximately 2,000 industrial jobs monthly.

Business leaders cited multiple pressures, including the impact of US tariff policies, aggressive export competition from Asia—especially China—high energy costs, payroll taxes, and burdensome bureaucracy. These factors are hitting the Bergische Städtedreieck, a heavily industrial and export-dependent area, particularly hard.

IHK President Henner Pasch, alongside entrepreneurs such as Dr. Andreas Groß and Vera Bökenbrink, called for urgent reforms in industrial policy, emphasizing the need to invest federal transformation funds wisely to support long-term planning and shield critical sectors. Pasch warned that losing industrial firms would jeopardize dependent service and wholesale businesses, urging policymakers to devise effective support strategies.

The dramatic demonstration and demand paper presented by the protesters underscored the call for a national economic council to better represent small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to champion Germany’s industrial competitiveness. Although participants expressed that companies have not yet reached a breaking point, the protest made clear that swift action is essential to prevent further deterioration of the region’s economy.