SKILLED TRADES – A GLOBAL ECONOMIC GIANT

In a strategic initiative, the skilled trades and the city of Düsseldorf have been working very closely together for the last two years. The results of this successful cooperation range from innovative craftsmen's yards to participatory events and new study programmes. 

How competitive Germany will be in the future will also depend on how the skilled trades sector fares - an industry that knows how to find practical solutions even in difficult times. 

Many skilled trades businesses are now key players when it comes to supporting their customers in the energy transition. VIVID spoke to two innovation leading companies from Düsseldorf about their day-to-day business dealing with climate protection, heat pumps and energy consulting. 

Over the past decades, the Düsseldorf-based Tholl Group has developed into a major player in the field of refurbishment and modernisation. The family-run company relies on an end-to-end value chain, its own skilled labour and sus-tainable construction concepts. 

Digitalisation offers great opportunities for the retail industry. At the same time, however, the risk of becoming the target of cyberattacks is growing. EuroCIS 2025 showcased developments and solutions. 

At the end of 2024, the Association for German Startups published its latest 'Startup Monitor' on the startup scene in Germany. Some of the trends listed are particularly encouraging for Düsseldorf’s ecosystem. For example, the share of sales to business customers rose to 74.7 per cent (2023: 70.4 per cent) - an important sign for Düsseldorf as a strong B2B location. Or the fact that, despite the economic challenges, even more German startups are committed to the 'green economy' or can be categorised as such (2023: 46.7 per cent, 2024: 48.1 per cent). This is also a focus in the state capital. All in all, Düsseldorf offers good conditions for founders to settle and grow here. The three successful examples we present in this issue are Bonoboo, Dein Schrauberplatz and ifactory3D. 

Germany is a country of ideas - and many of these ideas come from people with a migration background. Statistically, their start-up rate is twice that of people without a migration background. But what motivates them to become entrepreneurs? And what challenges do they face? 

Three years ago, Constanze Boss would never have dreamed that she would one day become the HWK Düsseldorf's "Apprentice of the Month" - the 20-year-old actually wanted to go to university. She is now in her second year of training as a carpenter. 

He has been consistently breathing new life into the Düsseldorf event scene - for the last 15 years, Marc Thiele has been connecting creative and tech-savvy people who want to think outside the box at his "beyond tellerrand" conference. He talks to VIVID publisher Rainer Kunst about how this unique format came about, how it has evolved over the years, how he balances it with his family life and where the journey is still heading.

Deniz Sen has been working for Stadtwerke Düsseldorf for 22 years. He started out in the accounting department and, after holding a number of positions and completing a postgraduate course, has now found his way to Employer Branding - where he can let his creativity run wild. In his spare time, the 41-year-old, who was born in Solingen, is a passionate collector of vinyl records and art objects, as well as boxing and football enthusiast. 

Artificial intelligence is changing the world of work. In the skilled trades, too, more and more companies are utilising AI applications. But what does this actually look like in a professional sector that, unlike industrial mass production, is characterised by manual work? Experts provide insights, give examples of use and talk about the opportunities and challenges that AI brings for the skilled trades.