Két régió – két eltérő út: a német feldolgozóipari kis- és középvállalatok fejlődése
Development of German manufacturing SMEs: two regions – two different ways

Summary/Abstract: One The aim of the study is to highlight the similarities and differences in the development paths of manufacturing small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Eastern and Western Germany. After outlining the dividing lines between Eastern and Western German territories by various dimensions, the authors review the SME structure in two German federal states,Bavaria and Saxony. In the Bavarian manufacturing sector, a family-SMEs-based development path is typical. These SMEs play an important role in the Bavarian local and regional economy. Saxony, being among those federal states in Eastern Germany which have a significant industrial past and strong entrepreneurial traditions, suffered relatively small losses from the shock of the German reunification. The Saxon manufacturing industries are also dominated bySMEs. The less dominant role of large firms canbe explained by the radical transformation after political transition, when former large, state owned companies were liquidated. The final section of the study investigates the territorial differences between Industry 4.0 projects as they have significant impact on the future of German manufacturing SMEs.

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