Author: Kloepfel
Production of electrolyzers to begin in mid-2023 The gas company Air Liquide and Siemens Energy announce the creation of a joint venture that will be dedicated to the series production of electrolysers for renewable hydrogen in Europe. The aim of this joint venture is to create a sustainable hydrogen economy in Europe. The European ecosystem for electrolysis and hydrogen technology will also be promoted. This was announced by Air Liquide in a press release. Production is expected to begin in the second half of 2023 and ramp up to an annual production capacity of three gigawatts by 2025. Stacks production…
No end to supply bottlenecks in sight Companies expect the shortage of materials in German industry to continue for another ten months. This is shown by a survey conducted by the Ifo Institute. 74.1 percent of the companies surveyed complained about bottlenecks and difficulties in the procurement of intermediate products as well as raw materials. In the month before, 77.2 percent of the companies complained about this. “The hoped-for easing in supply chains is shifting further and further back,” comments Klaus Wohlrabe, head of Ifo Surveys. He adds that supply bottlenecks have become part of everyday life for many companies.…
Weakening around 0.3 percent In June 2022, the inflation rate in Germany decreased slightly. Compared with the same month last year, the inflation rate rose by 7.6 percent and was thus 0.3 percent below the May 2022 level, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) reported. Dr. Georg Thiel, President of the Federal Statistical Office, cited rising prices for energy products as the main reason for the high inflation rate. “The 9-euro ticket and the fuel discount had a slightly dampening effect on overall inflation in June 2022,” adds Dr. Georg Thiel. Rising energy prices Energy products were 38.0 percent more expensive…
HWWI commodity price index shows mixed trend HWWI overall index rose by 1.9% (US dollar basis)Crude oil prices rose by 4.8%Industrial raw materials decreased by 9%Overall level remained high (69.1% above June) (Hamburg, July 14, 2022) The HWWI commodity price index rose by an average of 1.9% in June compared with the previous month. Of the three sub-indices reflected in the overall index (index for energy commodities, index for industrial commodities, and index for food, beverages and tobacco), the index for industrial commodities fell again in June, this time by 9%. The index for food, beverages and tobacco fell by…
HWWI commodity price index falls but remains at high level HWWI overall index fell by 2.7% (US dollar basis)Crude oil prices increased by 5.8%Natural gas prices decreased by 20.3%Overall level remains high (76.1% above May 2021) (Hamburg, June 15, 2022) The HWWI commodity price index fell by an average of 2.7% in May compared to the previous month. Of the three sub-indices reflected in the overall index (index for energy commodities, index for industrial commodities and index for food, beverages and tobacco), the index for industrial commodities fell by 8.2% and the index for energy commodities by 2.2% in May.…
Compleo Charging Solutions AG Interview with Gerrit Kehrenberg, Head of Purchasing at Compleo Charging Solutions AG Compleo is on a strong growth path thanks to e-mobility. How is your purchasing department coping with this? The basis of successful purchasing is a strong team. However, teamwork and maintaining team spirit are a real challenge under the conditions of corona rules and working in a home office. Nevertheless, we are working on optimally coordinating with each other as a team even in digital collaboration and maintaining team spirit even remotely. This is very important because the challenges are enormous in view of…
Employee interview with Rebecca Louisa Stahlhacke In an employee interview, Rebecca Stahlhacke, Senior Consultant at Kloepfel Consulting GmbH, tells us how she got her job and how she always challenges herself. What was your application process like? My rather unconventional application process started almost 3 years ago and with the head of department. I was then invited to the Düsseldorf for a personal meeting followed by a call with an offer and a contract. Shortly after my graduation I started working at Kloepfel. Why did you decide on this job at that time? It was important to me to find…
Procurement Consultant (f/m/d) www.kloepfel-karriere.com Junior Procurement Consultant (f/m/d) www.kloepfel-karriere.com
German exporters show more optimism As reported by the Ifo Institute, the mood among German exporters is brightening. While Ifo export expectations were still at plus 3.0 points in April 2022, they increased to plus 4.5 points in May. However, logistics problems continue to weigh on German industry. According to the Ifo Institute, there is currently no great momentum in exports. Export prospects In the automotive industry, the export outlook brightened again. However, manufacturers do not currently expect any major increase in foreign sales. By contrast, manufacturers of electrical equipment continue to anticipate ongoing export growth. In the mechanical engineering…
Companies complain about supply bottlenecks A survey by the Ifo Institute shows that material shortages have intensified. In May, 77.2 percent of the surveyed companies complained about supply bottlenecks as well as other problems in obtaining preliminary products and raw materials. The month before, the figure was 75.0 percent. “Supply chains are under constant stress,” commented Klaus Wohlrabe, head of Ifo’s surveys. The standstill at Chinese ports has worsened the situation for many companies, he said. Almost all key industries burdened At 91.5 percent, mechanical engineering is the most heavily burdened. This is followed by the electrical industry. The proportion…
Brexit special evaluation As reported by the German Association of Materials Management, Purchasing and Logistics (BME) on May 11, a special Brexit evaluation by the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) as part of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce survey “Going International 2022” shows that German-British trade is weakening. Around 1,500 German companies with business activities in the UK were surveyed for the poll in early February. The survey reveals that more than two-thirds of the companies surveyed complain about customs bureaucracy. In addition, more than half of the companies complain about logistics problems caused by…
“Passing on price increases to customers” Currently, companies are running out of costs. In view of commodity price inflation and the energy price shock, there is an urgent need for action on the sales side to defend margins and survive the coming years with increased inflation unscathed. To do this, the trends for the cost drivers need to be assessed once a quarter with a time horizon of six to twelve months. The problem is often that medium-sized companies lack the time in purchasing and the transparency in the procurement markets to do this. Similarly, cross-functional processes and methodical approaches…
Strains on the supply chains of German companies First the Corona pandemic and then the war in Ukraine. The economy is not coming to rest. The war in Ukraine is burdening economic processes in a variety of ways. General uncertainty and tense supply chains are currently dominating everyday business life. Both crude oil and natural gas as well as various other raw materials are affected. The metals sector is particularly worthy of mention here. In addition, there are currently repeated difficulties with supplier parts. The turbulence is also particularly evident in the logistics sector. German foreign trade with Russia and…
Employee interview with Tobias Möller As an employee of the Kloepfel Group, you can always learn something new even after 4 years of working together. Tobias Möller, consultant at Kloepfel Consulting GmbH, talks about his 4-year experience at the company. You can also find out how he became part of Kloepfel Consulting and what he has been able to take away for himself so far. How was your application process? All in all, extremely pleasant. At the time, I was actively contacted by Kloepfel’s HR via XING and I appreciated the exciting and professional contact, so a first telephone call…
HWWI commodity price index falls slightly in April HWWI overall index down 12% (US dollar basis)Crude oil prices decreased by 5.7%Natural gas prices fell by 22.9% (Hamburg, May 12, 2022) The HWWI commodity price index fell by an average of 12% in April compared with the previous month. Of the three sub-indices reflected in the overall index (index for energy commodities, index for industrial commodities and index for food and beverages), the index for energy commodities fell the most in April (-13.6%) the index for industrial commodities only slightly (-3.9%), while food and beverages even saw a further slight increase…
Procurement Consultant (f/m/d) www.kloepfel-karriere.com Junior Procurement Consultant (f/m/d) www.kloepfel-karriere.com
Opening of a new solar park Solar power specialist Enerparc AG and Volkswagen Sachsen are opening a new solar park in Mosel, near the Zwickau vehicle plant. According to a press release, Volkswagen Sachsen, Volkswagen Kraftwerk and Enerparc AG signed a long-term power supply contract. According to the company, this states that Volkswagen will be supplied with green electricity to the plant in Zwickau over the next 20 years. Enerparc’s trading subsidiary Sunnic Lighthose GmbH is responsible for delivering the electricity in accordance with the contract, it said. Zwickau is the first factory to receive solar power Around 11,600 modules…
Business expectations deteriorate significantly Material bottlenecks have again increased significantly in the construction sector. Surveys by the Ifo Institute show that expectations in the construction sector have fallen sharply. In April, 54.2 percent of companies in the building construction sector were affected by supply bottlenecks. In the previous month, only 37.2 percent reported this. In April, 46.2 percent of companies in the civil engineering sector were affected by supply bottlenecks. This compares with 31.5 percent in March. Ifo researcher Felix Leiss says that these are highs since the beginning of the time series in 1991. At the same time, business…