German companies

The Kremlin has moved to take control of the Russian operations of German retail giant Metro, which owns a chain of stores across the country. The transfer marks a new step in Russia's widening seizure of foreign corporate assets since the invasion of Ukraine, raising fresh concerns among Western companies still operating in or exposed to the Russian market.

Fortune reports that Chinese companies are now competing head-on with Europe's most profitable industries, from luxury goods like $1,000 Gucci sneakers to German cars. The piece argues China's industrial upgrade means it is no longer just a manufacturing base but a direct rival in premium sectors long dominated by European brands, raising the stakes for the continent's export-driven economies.

Workers at Volkswagen's operations in Mexico are considering strike action as the German automaker pushes through major job cuts across its global operations. The company is restructuring to reduce costs, and unions in Mexico are weighing how to respond to job insecurity and potential losses at the Puebla-area plants.

French AI startup Mistral AI has opened a new hub in Munich dedicated to physics-based and industrial AI applications. The German facility is expected to support research into AI for manufacturing, engineering and scientific use cases, strengthening Mistral's European footprint. The move signals the company's push beyond general-purpose chatbots into applied industrial technology, at a time when European AI firms are seeking to compete with US and Chinese rivals.

Black Forest Labs, the German AI startup behind the image generation model Flux, is calling on Europe to remain optimistic about artificial intelligence despite ongoing safety concerns. The company argues that European developers can compete globally and that regulation should not stifle innovation. Its stance feeds into a wider debate over whether EU rules are holding back the continent's AI sector.

China currently supplies up to 70% of the battery-grade lithium chemicals used in Europe, and a German recycling company has opened a new plant it hopes will help cut that dependence. The company's process recovers lithium from batteries, though significant obstacles remain before it can make a real dent in imports. The project is being watched as a test case for Europe's broader push to secure homegrown supplies of critical raw materials for the electric vehicle and battery industries.

Volkswagen's most affordable electric models are reportedly overtaking orders for its petrol and diesel cars in Germany, a shift the company is said to be slowing as it balances the transition. The development is being covered by finance and climate-focused outlets, with commentators framing it as a sign that cheap EVs are reaching mass-market buyers faster than the automaker planned.

Anthropic says its Claude AI model has independently discovered a new enzyme system after analysing DNA databases, marking the first discovery to come out of the company's newly established biotech laboratory. The announcement is being shared widely in German-language tech and science circles, with commentators framing it as a milestone for AI-assisted biological research.

A survey of German firms has found that 21% of companies say climate change is already having an adverse impact on their operations. The finding, highlighted in commentary on investing and climate topics, suggests climate effects are no longer a future risk but a present business concern in Europe's largest economy.

Societe Generale and Vodafone have received European Union antitrust approval for their acquisition of a German fiber optic company. The clearance from EU competition regulators removes a key regulatory hurdle, allowing the two firms to proceed with their joint purchase and expand high-speed broadband infrastructure in the German telecommunications market.

Camera maker Insta360 is examining camera glasses as a potential new device class. According to a report by German tech outlet Heise, the focus of such glasses would be on straightforward capture of high-quality photos and video rather than AI features, distinguishing them from smart glasses offerings from other manufacturers. The company, known for its 360-degree action cameras, has not confirmed a launch date or product details.

German insurer ERGO Group has created a chief AI officer role, a senior position dedicated to steering the company's use of artificial intelligence. The move signals how insurers are formally embedding AI oversight at executive level as the technology reshapes underwriting, claims and customer service.

Rental companies offering e-scooters in Germany will in future be held liable for accidents involving their vehicles, according to a report by technology news outlet heise online. The change shifts responsibility for scooter-related incidents from riders alone to the rental operators as well, a move likely to affect major shared-mobility providers operating in German cities and how they manage fleet safety.

Black Forest Labs, the German startup best known for image generation, has taken the top spot on Nvidia's robotics leaderboard with FLUX 3 Action, a 7-billion-parameter model scoring 42.9%. The result is notable because it outperforms entries on Nvidia's own benchmark for robot foundation models, signaling that image-generation specialists are now competing directly in embodied AI and robot learning.

Deutsche Bank has raised its price target for German space and technology group OHB to €300, with analysts pointing to defense-driven growth as the reason for the more optimistic outlook. The upgrade reflects growing investor interest in European defense and security-related space capabilities, a sector that has attracted rising attention as governments increase military and security spending.

A German radio program is devoting its 14:00-16:00 slot to the EU packaging regulation, which aims to curb unnecessary waste generated by companies such as Temu and Shein. The show also examines the burden the rules place on small businesses and independent artists, featuring an interview with Sascha Stadlmeier of the Augsburg-based label Attenuation Circuit about the effects on small operators.