“Prosperity for young people”

"It is now the younger generation that demands our full attention and focus," said Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the Day of Industry (TDI) organised by the Federation of German Industries (BDI) at the EUREF - European Energy Forum - campus in Berlin. The central task of politics is to make the right decisions today, so that future generations can also enjoy the prospects of prosperity and security.

Progress on international trade agreements, the unity of the G7 countries and new economic partnerships are important signs of greater stability, reliability and predictability. Looking to the future, Merz identified four key areas of action which, in his view, are crucial to ensuring prosperity for the younger generation: an effective high-tech agenda, more start-ups, greater computing capacity and improved defence capabilities. "After prosperity for all, the next step must now be prosperity for young people," emphasised the Federal Chancellor.

The most important points in brief:

• Promoting innovation: Through the Germany High-Tech Agenda, the Federal Government is focusing on six key technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), quantum technology and microelectronics - with the aim of strengthening Germany's competitiveness in the long term. At the same time, the Federal Chancellor highlighted the growing momentum in start-ups: in 2025, around 30 percent more start-ups were launched than in the previous year.
• Strengthening digital sovereignty: Computing power is the backbone of modern value creation and a prerequisite in the field of AI - artificial intelligence. "We want to massively expand our computing capacity over the next few years," emphasised the Federal Chancellor. The foundation for this is the data centre strategy that has been adopted. Furthermore, Germany is bidding to host one of the AI gigafactories. The aim is to reduce technological dependencies and strengthen Europe's digital sovereignty.
• Further developing pension provision in a way that is fair to all generations: The recommendations of the Pensions Commission provide a substantial and well-considered foundation, which should now be translated into specific legislation. The core of the reform is the introduction of an additional, funded, individualised statutory pension. Another proposal is to reduce incentives for early retirement. The aim is to have a pension policy that remains sustainable for future generations.
• Security as the foundation of prosperity: Prosperity requires security, said the Chancellor. Since May 2025, procurement contracts with a total value of around 85 billion euros - a record figure - have been put in place. Investments are being made not only in established weapons systems, but also in future technologies such as unmanned systems, space and cyber. These investments are also investments in Europe's resilience and sovereignty.

Read the transcript of the speech here (in German):

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