Policy should establish regulatory foundations instead of prescriptive measures akin to industrial policy, according to the DIHK chief.

Peter Adrian, President of the German Industry and Commerce Association (DIHK), has expressed concerns about politically guided investments, advocating instead for economic decisions. Adrian believes that economic developments should not be steered artificially into regions with high subsidies without a guarantee of success.

In a statement published by the "Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland", Adrian criticised an investment in semiconductor production in the region of Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt. He believes that investment decisions are better made in the economy rather than by the government.

Adrian has also criticised the approach of bringing certain economic developments to specific regions with large amounts of money, such as battery production in Schleswig-Holstein and semiconductor production in Saxony-Anhalt. While he acknowledges that such investments can work, he suggests that they are not always necessary.

The DIHK president has also expressed doubts about the effectiveness of state-guided industrial policy. He cited the failed Intel settlement in Magdeburg and similar projects as examples. Adrian instead advocates for a focus on creating economic framework conditions, emphasising the importance of public infrastructure.

According to Adrian, the state's primary role should be to ensure adequate funding for public infrastructure, with subsidy programs for companies being considered secondarily. He reiterated his opposition to politically guided investments, advocating for economic decisions instead.

Policy should establish regulatory foundations instead of prescriptive measures akin to industrial policy, according to the DIHK chief.