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

At the turn of the year, the East Westphalia Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Bielefeld (IHK) is looking ahead to 2026 – optimistic, but with a clear mandate to politics: Relief and investment incentives must not only be announced, but must have a tangible effect in businesses. From the Chamber's perspective, three levers are central: lower energy costs, a more modern and faster administration, and tax incentives that actually trigger investments.

Thus, the IHK is focusing less on a new economic policy wish list and more on speed in projects that are already politically on the table – including an "investment and growth booster" and a "construction turbo." What matters to the regional economy is that these create reliable framework conditions: plannable, unbureaucratic, and with measurable short-term effects.

The IHK increases pressure on implementation

Already at the beginning of December, the IHK emphasized at the annual reception that several federal government projects could unleash potential in East Westphalia – if they are implemented quickly.

The following were mentioned, among others:

• Relief in energy costs
• Modernization agenda for the state and administration
• Investment-promoting measures

The message behind this is also strategic: For export-oriented and industry-related regions like East Westphalia, the announcement matters less than the speed with which projects are approved, investments initiated, and cost brakes released.

Energy costs, administration, taxes: This is what the IHK is aiming for

1) Lower energy costs – secure competitiveness

The IHK considers energy prices to be too high by international standards and sees this as a direct competitive disadvantage, especially for energy-intensive companies and supply chains in the region.

From the Chamber's perspective, a reduction in electricity tax and lower grid fees are considered the first effective signals.

Such relief would not only be a cost issue for companies, but also a factor in location decisions: Those who modernize production lines or expand capacities calculate energy costs for years to come.

2) Modernize administration – time becomes a location factor

In addition to costs, the IHK is focusing on the speed of the state. Approvals, documentation requirements, and reporting obligations tie up resources in many companies that are then lacking for production, innovation, or sales.

In a joint initiative of the chambers of commerce in East Westphalia, it was reported at the beginning of 2025, based on a survey of nearly 250 companies, that bureaucracy accounts for an average of about a quarter of business activity.

Particularly burdensome are:

• Retention and documentation obligations
• Data protection requirements
• Reporting obligations

The demand is therefore for leaner procedures, less double regulation, and more consistent digitalization – up to and including central online processes that standardize and accelerate workflows.

3) Tax incentives for investments – faster from idea to machine

The "investment and growth booster" is exemplary of the aim not only to promote investments, but to bring them forward in time.

On June 4, 2025, the federal cabinet decided on a tax investment immediate program intended to accelerate private investments and strengthen competitiveness.

Among other things, the following are planned:

• Facilitated depreciation options for movable assets
• Additional incentives for investments in e-mobility

This is especially relevant for companies when tax rules create planning security and make investments economically viable more quickly – for example, for machinery, vehicle fleets, or automation, which in many companies quickly determine competitiveness and employment.

Why this is particularly relevant for East Westphalia

The IHK Ostwestfalen zu Bielefeld, as a public law corporation, is the representative of the regional economy. Its district includes the city of Bielefeld as well as the districts of Gütersloh, Herford, Höxter, Minden-Lübbecke, and Paderborn; according to its own information, it represents around 115,000 companies from industry, trade, and services.

Accordingly, the weight of the topics is great: Energy costs, approval times, and investment conditions have a direct impact on orders, location decisions, and the labor market in such an economic structure.

In the spring economic survey 2025, the IHK painted a tense picture for the industry around Bielefeld: Only 3 percent of industrial companies rated their current situation as good, 50 percent as bad. At the same time, willingness to invest declined: Only 15 percent of companies wanted to invest more; replacement investments (71 percent) often dominated. Under these conditions, every lever that accelerates decisions becomes important – whether through falling ongoing costs, less administrative effort, or tax incentives that make investments profitable more quickly.

The IHK's direction is therefore clear: For 2026, it is above all demanding implementation strength. Whether this will result in tangible relief and additional investments in East Westphalia now depends less on new programs from the economy's point of view – but on whether political commitments reach companies quickly, reliably, and in a practical manner.