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

At the turn of the year, the East Westphalia Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Bielefeld (IHK) links its outlook for 2026 with a clear expectation of politics: Not new programs, but tangible effects of the announced relief measures should make the difference for companies in the region. Three levers are at the center, which, according to the Chamber, determine competitiveness, willingness to invest, and employment: lower energy costs, tax investment incentives, and a modernization of the state and administration.

The IHK, as a public law corporation, is the central representative of the interests of the regional economy and, according to its own statements, speaks for around 115,000 companies. The chamber district includes Bielefeld as well as the districts of Gütersloh, Herford, Höxter, Minden-Lübbecke, and Paderborn. Accordingly, the impact is broad when the IHK demands economic policy guidelines: from energy-intensive industry to medium-sized businesses and trade, to construction and service providers.

Implementation instead of announcements: The IHK focuses on framework conditions

The tone of the IHK is less focused on individual funding ideas and more on reliability and speed. Measures such as the "Investment and Growth Booster" and the "Construction Turbo" have already been initiated politically; from the Chamber's point of view, however, 2026 will decide whether these instruments actually trigger investments, accelerate projects, and increase planning security in practice – or whether they get bogged down in administrative day-to-day business.

This perspective hits a core conflict for many companies: Investments rarely fail due to a lack of fundamental will, but rather due to a combination of high ongoing costs, unclear future burdens, and lengthy procedures. Especially in an export-oriented region like East Westphalia, where many companies are part of global supply chains, the ability to produce and build quickly and predictably is crucial.

Energy costs: The burden remains – even with declining values

The IHK is most explicit on the subject of energy. It calls for consistent relief, because energy costs have a direct impact on calculations, offer prices, and location decisions. For energy-intensive companies, a permanently high price level means not only more expensive production, but also a higher risk for long-term contracts: Anyone investing today must at least be able to roughly estimate energy costs for the coming years.

The fact that the issue is not resolved is also shown by official price developments. According to the Federal Statistical Office, the average prices for non-households in the first half of 2025 were 19.33 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity (net). Although this was less than in the second half of 2024, it was still significantly higher compared to pre-crisis levels. For natural gas, Destatis reports an average of 6.75 cents per kilowatt hour (excluding VAT and other charges) for non-households in the first half of 2025; compared to the second half of 2024, this is an increase of about 6.3 percent, and compared to the first half of 2024, an increase of 11.8 percent.

For companies, it is not only the absolute amount that matters, but also the structure of the costs. Relief through grid fees or a planned industrial electricity price can – depending on the design – improve liquidity and margins in the short term. At the same time, for many companies, the central question remains whether such relief is reliable, legally secure, and can be planned for the long term. This is exactly where the IHK comes in: It links the demand for lower costs with the requirement that political instruments actually reach everyday business operations.

Investment incentives: 2026 will be the practical test for the "Growth Booster"

In addition to energy, the IHK is bringing tax incentives to the forefront. The background is pragmatic: Investments are often brought forward when depreciation, financing, and expected returns improve in the short term. On June 4, 2025, the federal cabinet passed an immediate investment program ("Growth Booster") intended to promote rapid, growth-effective investments and at the same time create long-term relief. Among other things, accelerated depreciation options and targeted investment incentives are planned.

For East Westphalia, 2026 thus becomes a reality check: Do the instruments work in such a way that companies can actually finance and implement machinery, digitalization, building technology, or new capacities more quickly? Or are the effects limited because uncertainty about energy and location costs, complicated proof requirements, or lengthy approval processes worsen the investment calculation again? From the IHK's point of view, success depends less on the existence of the program than on its practical usability in companies – especially for medium-sized businesses that do not have large tax and legal departments.

Building and approvals: The "Construction Turbo" is intended to shorten procedures – local implementation is crucial

Construction also remains a focus. In 2025, the federal government presented a draft law intended to accelerate housing construction and facilitate housing security. Core elements are faster land-use planning procedures and simplifications for adding stories and densification. An implementation lab for practice was also launched, which is to run until the first quarter of 2026.

For municipalities and the construction industry in East Westphalia, this is more than a federal political project: If planning procedures actually become faster, this can relieve housing construction, commercial site development, and modernization projects – and thus also stabilize the labor market. However, if procedures remain sluggish, even good funding or tax incentives will have only limited effect, because projects cannot start on time. The IHK logic is therefore clear: The decisive currency for 2026 is speed – in administration as well as on the construction site.

Modernization of state and administration: Business demands speed and reliability

The third demand of the IHK is aimed at the modernization of the state and administration. This does not mean an abstract promise of reform, but a tangible improvement for companies: shorter processing times, digital processes, clearer responsibilities, and fewer friction losses between administrative levels. For companies, this means very concretely: Approvals, funding applications, registrations, or building law reviews must not become bottlenecks when investments are explicitly politically desired.

Especially the combination of the three topics shows the core of the IHK message: Lower energy costs help if they are plannable. Investment incentives work if they are applicable in the company. Accelerated construction succeeds if municipalities and authorities can actually shorten procedures. From the perspective of the regional economy, 2026 will thus be less a year of new buzzwords and more a year of implementation – measurable by whether costs fall, investments start, and processes become noticeably faster.