Improvement observed by businesses from 2026, according to research
In the face of high energy costs, excessive bureaucracy, and volatile markets, companies in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland) are adopting strategic crisis management approaches focused on operational and cyber resilience, enhancing risk communication, and fostering a culture of preparedness.
According to Dr. Lars Kleeberg, Managing Director of BME, reliable framework conditions, including deregulation, stable energy prices, and predictability, are essential for economic recovery. The ERA Group, a consulting firm specializing in the long-term improvement of competitiveness for medium-sized companies, institutions, and non-profit organizations, shares this sentiment.
The ERA Group, whose website can be found at www.eragroup.com, offers implementation-oriented consulting services along the entire value chain, including energy procurement and optimization, supply chain management, and digitalization. They can be contacted at Gustav-Stresemann-Ring 12-16, Wiesbaden, Germany, or through their press contact Thomas Löwer.
The initial focus for companies is on operational stabilization, efficiency enhancement, and liquidity security. Digital tools and automation are increasingly being used in these strategies. Cost optimization, process digitalization, and strategic diversification are considered the most important levers for crisis management.
For their expectations regarding political support from 2026 onwards, companies foresee the necessity of governments implementing reforms and investment programs that reduce costs (e.g., electricity prices, taxes), support key sectors (real estate, automobile, defense, financials), and stimulate economic growth through targeted policies. There is a clear call for constructive collaboration between the private sector and political decision-makers to enhance the investment climate, sustain growth, and manage post-crisis challenges.
The majority of companies in the DACH region expect an economic recovery from 2026 onwards. They are engaging in initiatives like “Made for Germany,” which promotes strengthened dialogue between business and government to improve digitization, innovation, infrastructure, sustainability, and skilled labor, aiming at a future-proof economy.
Matthias Droste, a representative from the ERA Group, believes that the crisis forces companies to question their structures and find new ways for long-term competitiveness. Financial support is hardly mentioned by companies; instead, they prioritize entrepreneurial freedom of action in a stable environment. Personnel measures play a subordinate role compared to procurement in crisis management strategies.
The economic situation of many companies in the DACH region is tense, with nearly half of them under strong or existential pressure. Supply chains are being secured, procurement prices are being reduced, and new partnerships are being established. The source of this information is ots. This combined approach suggests the DACH region’s companies are looking for an active, enabling political environment that supports resilience, innovation, and investment as fundamental pillars for economic recovery and growth post-2026.
[1] ERA Group. (n.d.). Strategic Crisis Management. Retrieved from https://www.eragroup.com/en/services/strategy/crisis-management/ [2] ERA Group. (n.d.). Political Expectations for 2026 and Beyond. Retrieved from https://www.eragroup.com/en/insights/blog/political-expectations-for-2026-and-beyond/ [3] Made for Germany. (n.d.). Initiative for a Future-Proof Economy. Retrieved from https://www.made-for-germany.de/en/ [4] news aktuell. (n.d.). ERA Group: Strategic Approaches for Economic Recovery. Retrieved from https://www.news-aktuell.de/era-group-strategische-ansaetze-fuer-wirtschaftsaufschwung/
- The ERA Group, a consultation firm specializing in business improvement, offers services in finance through their energy procurement and optimization, which are critical aspects of crisis management strategies. (ERA Group)
- The DACH region's companies, amidst the economic recovery expectations from 2026 onwards, are advocating for financial support mainly in the form of deregulation and stable energy prices that minimize costs, as stated by the ERA Group. (ERA Group, DACH region's companies)
