IHK demands for 2026: Lower energy costs, modernize administration, accelerate investments

At the turn of the year, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce of East Westphalia in Bielefeld (IHK) links its outlook for 2026 with clear expectations for politics: Energy must become more affordable, procedures in the state and administration must become significantly faster and more digital, and tax incentives should actually trigger investments.

The IHK, as a public law corporation, claims to represent the interests of around 115,000 companies in East Westphalia (IHK Ostwestfalen, "About us").

In doing so, the chamber does not address a single sector, but rather location factors that affect industry, trade, and services across the board: ongoing costs, predictability, and speed of decisions. In a press release on the economic outlook, the IHK does express confidence for the region, but ties this to "courage, cooperation," and above all to a fast, tangible implementation of political projects (IHK Ostwestfalen, 26.12.2025).

Energy costs as an immediate brake on investments

The IHK places the sharpest emphasis on the topic of energy. High prices do not affect companies in the abstract, but month after month in their cost structure – and thus precisely where investment decisions are calculated. Those who expect permanently high energy and location costs postpone modernizations, take less risk onto their books, or prioritize investments where the framework conditions appear more stable.

The fact that the chamber sees this topic as a central risk fits with the results of its economic assessments: In the spring economic survey 2026, the regional economic climate indicator did rise from 94 (autumn 2025) to 105 points and thus, for the first time in four years, was again above the 100-point mark – at the same time, companies continued to cite increased energy prices as one of the main risk factors (IHK Ostwestfalen, 17.03.2026). This finding is important for classification: A slight improvement in sentiment does not, from the companies' point of view, replace relief in costs if investments are really to take off.

Much has been announced – what matters is the effect "in the company"

In addition to energy, the IHK is pushing for speed in announced measures intended to boost investments and growth – such as the "investment and growth booster" and the "construction turbo." The core message: What matters is not the political term, but whether it translates into plannable projects, faster decisions, and better investment calculations.

For the investment booster, there is a concrete parliamentary decision at the federal level: On June 26, 2025, the Bundestag passed a tax investment immediate program to strengthen the business location, which, among other things, provides for improved depreciation conditions for movable assets (German Bundestag, 26.06.2025). Such instruments can bring investments forward because they provide tax relief earlier in time – but the effect only occurs if companies consider the measures reliable and actually take them into account in their planning.

The IHK thus formulates a classic implementation question: Do the announced reliefs reach the companies quickly enough, simply enough, and broadly enough – or do they fall short of their goals due to procedures, uncertainty, and complexity?

Modernization agenda: Reducing bureaucracy as location policy, not just a buzzword

As a third focus, the IHK names a modernization agenda for the state and administration. This means less an abstract promise of digitalization than a concrete change in practice: faster approvals, end-to-end digital processes, and less effort for recurring obligations.

In a position paper on bureaucracy in East Westphalia, the chamber outlines a "practical path" for this – focusing on end-to-end digitalization, clear responsibilities, and short-term "quick wins" that are intended to provide immediate relief to companies (IHK Ostwestfalen, position paper on bureaucracy, 28.07.2025). The economic connection is obvious from the companies' point of view: If applications, proofs, and approvals take weeks or months longer, investments not only become more expensive – they become riskier because costs and market opportunities are harder to plan.

The fact that the IHK repeats these points is also shown by a later assessment of economic policy measures: President Jörn Wahl-Schwentker and Chief Executive Officer Iris Pigerl-Radtke emphasized in May 2026 that relief in energy prices, labor costs, and bureaucratic hurdles must become "tangible" for companies so that investments can once again act as a driver (IHK Ostwestfalen, 05.05.2026).

An outlook with conditions

All in all, the IHK paints a picture with potential for 2026 – but without automatism. The chamber signals confidence for East Westphalia, but links it to concrete conditions: falling energy costs, an administration that enables faster decisions, and tax incentives that actually improve investment calculations in practice.

The central message is therefore less that new ideas are lacking. From the perspective of the regional economy, 2026 will be decided by whether announced measures are implemented quickly, reliably, and with little bureaucracy – and whether relief in energy and procedures arrives in such a way that companies can once again invest and grow more quickly.