A man sits in the CureVac laboratory wearing a protective mask
Dossier

Dossier

One year of coronavirus aid

The coronavirus has kept the world in suspense for more than a year. How inventively people and companies react to the daily new challenges can be seen for example in Rostock, where Centogene's mobile laboratories facilitate coronavirus tests in everyday life, and in Allersberg, where the pandemic forced the travel company Leitner Touristik to slam the brakes on its business.

Image-Reference

On our website, pictures taken, among others, by the following photographers/photo agencies are used:

Agentur photothek.net, Deutsche Messe Hannover, Andreas Arnold, Jörg Böthling, Dominik Butzmann, Carsten Costard, Susanne Esche, Charlie Fawell, Rendel Freude, Torsten George, Gaby Gerster, David Greedy, Peter Himsel, Barbara Högner, Frank Homann, Fred Hoogervorst, Steffen Jagenburg (BRANSCH EUROPE), Thomas Klewar, Studio Kohlmeier , Florian Kopp, Georg Lopata, Jürgen Lösel, Kirsten Milhahn, Rüdiger Nehmzow, Rolf Obertreis, Rubén Arnaldo Farina Ortiz, Holger Peters, Joachim Röttgers, Mika Schmidt, Bernhard Schurian, Jens Steingässer, Pietro Sutera, Uwe Tölle, Jan Zappner.

Fotolia.com: amandare, Yuri Arcurs, Kitch Bain, Ingo Bartussek, Sergio Donà, drizzd, Dmitry Ersler, eyewave, Zoltán Futó, Eric Gevaert, Fotolia XXV, Friedberg, goodluz, Dirk Hoffmann, imageteam, Christian Jung, Abdelhamid Kalai, Sergej Khakimullin, Vladimir Kolobov, krizz7, Kzenon, lumen-digital, marog-pixcells, Mindwalker, Miredi, mirpic, Nebuto, Tino Neitz, Christian Pedant, Franz Pfluegl, prognone, Gina Sanders, Henry Schmitt, spree berlin, SVLuma, Kheng Guan Toh, tom, Torbz, typomaniac, VRD, Joachim Wendler, Sreedhar Yedlapati.

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Mayor Claus Madsen in the clock tower of the city hall in Rostock

With a smile

When it comes to digitalisation, Rostock looks to Scandinavia and the Baltic States as its role models and is investing in smart apps, public spaces and digital civic participation. This has led to it become one of the winners of the Smart Cities Pilot Projects competition. A visit to the city.

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Smart Cities illustration

“From zero to digital”

The coronavirus crisis has given many municipalities a technological development boost. Others are already benefiting from their modern standard. Four role models from the “Smart Cities Pilot Projects” competition run by the German Federal Ministry of Housing and KfW.

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Machine with a robot arm

KfW Capital supports innovative start-ups

Many young technology companies depend on venture capital. However, the necessary funds are often lacking due to the coronavirus crisis. Jörg Goschin and KfW Capital help cover the need for liquidity.

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Student Siri Eichhorn is being homeschooled during Corona Lockdown in Ulm

Everything on screen

Schools have had to switch to digital lessons during the coronavirus pandemic. This process has many pitfalls. In the smart cities of Ulm and Jena, however, they are making good progress.

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Christoph Kessler on a street market in Delhi

A temporary farewell

Christoph Kessler, Director KfW Office New Delhi, returned home during the summer for safety reasons. Here he describes India’s particularly critical situation and explains how Germany was able to help the subcontinent in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic so far.

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Centogene lab

The fight against the coronavirus

Responsibility in times of crisis: the Rostock-based company Centogene that otherwise tracks rare diseases is opening its laboratories for life-saving coronavirus tests. Up to 10,000 swabs can be analysed per day.

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Men wearing protective masks in a mobile laboratory in Kenya

Waiting for certainty

Only people with negative coronavirus test results are allowed to enter Kenya. This measure is intended to curb the disease in eastern Africa. KfW Stories visited a border crossing where mobile laboratories financed with German aid are helping to expedite the process.

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A Centogene employee takes a throat swab on a passenger

“We have to live with it”

Coronavirus tests could become part of everyday life in future. Germany is also gaining good experience just now. The mobile laboratories of the Rostock-based biotech company Centogene enable preventive and extensive testing.

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Labor from Atriva in Muenster

Double impact

Atriva Therapeutics has been working to develop flu treatment for several years. Now the company is working on a medicine to help people suffering from COVID-19.

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To the article on coronavirus aid for European shipyards
Two cruise ships from the Meyer Werft

An industry under pressure

To make sure German shipyard Meyer Werft and other European builders of cruise liners weather the coronavirus crisis, KfW IPEX-Bank has deferred the repayment of their loans. The initiative by the German Federal Government gives them breathing room for a year and saves jobs.

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corona virus

Loans for companies

KfW supports companies, self-employed and freelancers who have got into financial difficulties because of the corona crisis with a loan. You can find more information about the KfW coronavirus aid here.

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Dirk Evers in his carpentry

Emerging stronger from the crisis

The consequences of the coronavirus pandemic have made their mark in the order books of skilled crafts and trades businesses. But the Evers carpentry company in Braunschweig is an example that demonstrates how the lockdown also brought in unexpected business. The drive many homeowners felt to renovate contributed to the phenomenon.

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Breakdance at dance studio Flying Steps

Brutally affected

The Berlin dance company Flying Steps runs the largest urban dance school in Germany and is at home on the stages of the world with its many shows. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, performances had to be cancelled and studios closed. A new enterpreneurial choreography is needed.

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leather Heinen

“The market has been turned upside down”

The leather manufacturer Heinen, which has been operating for almost 130 years, has survived many crises. Now, the factory in Heinsberg district is facing the coronavirus pandemic. It is not directly affected, but the indirect impact is very real: the shoe industry, which was experiencing difficulty anyway, has seen heavy losses.

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Wachtel bakery ovens

“Getting back on track”

Even systemically relevant retailers like bakeries have suffered during the coronavirus crisis – which means their suppliers have, too. Wachtel, the German market leader for bakery ovens and cooling systems for artisan bakers, therefore applied for financial aid at short notice. However, they have only drawn down a small portion of it.

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Canidos

Trust is everything

Care services for pets are in demand more than ever. But the COVID-19 pandemic has hit the industry badly. Canidos dog centre in Gelsenkirchen is also facing hard times. Thanks to a KfW loan, operator Ralph Brandt hopes to bridge the difficult period.

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Günter Stecher

“You bite, you fight, you get angry”

Family business Stecher manufactures metal components for the automotive industry. It was inevitable, therefore, that the coronavirus crash would affect the Baden-Württemberg-based business. The rescue programme includes new products, a KfW loan and a large dose of pragmatism.

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Christoph Führer, Reise Leitner

The hour of the crisis manager

Christoph Führer, a travel agent, was forced to slam the brakes on his business during the coronavirus pandemic. But before he could think about rescuing his company, Leitner Touristik, he had to get holidaymakers in Israel and Italy back to safety. Visit with an unshakable optimist.

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drones are equipped with additional technology

Inventory drone on test

The Hesse-based start-up doks. innovation aims to future-proof corporate goods logistics with the help of drones. The coronavirus crisis hit the new company as it was preparing for its market launch.

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Mr and Mrs Schulz in front of the hotel Seerose

Confidence is back

The Usedom hotelier Gerd Schulz was approved very fast for one of KfW’s coronavirus loans. But this loan is not the only element that helped the energetic manager save his life’s work for the time being. Creative entrepreneurship was also involved.

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The founders of the company Bookingkit Christoph Kruse (right) and Lukas Hempel (left)

So long slips and tickets

Canoe trips, museum visits, parachuting: if you book an experience online, Bookingkit is often behind the process. A fast-growing business – until the pandemic arrived, that is. To survive the coronavirus crisis, the Berlin-based start-up needed strong partners, had to rethink its strategy and came of age practically overnight.

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Henry's Eismanufaktur

An ice cream always works

Dominik Heil made his childhood dream come true and today runs a café in a prime location in Saarbrücken, Germany. The restrictions to contain the coronavirus epidemic hit the small company owned by the passionate ice cream maker hard at the beginning of the season. But he didn’t let this discourage him.

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Go to article about the company UniCaps
Employees do not meet when changing shifts

Action taken at the right time

With carbon-neutral coffee capsules, UniCaps makes an important contribution to preventing packaging waste. A total of 35 employees make sure that production runs smoothly even during the coronavirus crisis thanks to early restructuring and appropriate financing.

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Lars Obendorfer in front of the first

Expansion during the crisis

Thanks to the long-standing tradition of offering takeaway food, the branches of the Frankfurt-based snack bar chain “Best Worscht in Town” were able to stay open during the coronavirus crisis. And thanks to a KfW loan, the company will be able to tackle the challenges of the crisis even if things get worse.

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Ali Nejat Nouei

Long live curryurst!

The Imbiss bei Schorsch takeaway in Hamburg’s Schanzenviertel district is an institution; many believe that its currywurst is the best in the city. Now the coronavirus pandemic has more than halved its customers. Its rescue plan includes a KfW loan to let the legend continue.

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Digitalisation in Kaiserslautern

A boost for digitalisation

Municipalities in Germany are anticipating a push towards digitalisation due to the coronavirus crisis. In an interview, economist Johannes Steinbrecher discusses the results of the KfW Municipal Panel 2020. He expects benefits from technological solutions.

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Betterspace founders

Hotels of the future

It all started with intelligent heating control systems. Today, Betterspace offers an extensive portfolio for the digitalisation of hotels. The portrait of a start-up that continues to be in demand, even in times of corona crisis.

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Pretty protection

In the Stitch by Stitch workshop in Frankfurt, refugee women produce high-quality fashion. Usually. Right now, creatively designed coronavirus masks are the big hit.

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To the article about mobile labs in Africa
mobile laboratories in africa

Mobile laboratories in Africa

The German Federal Government, KfW and the Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine have joined forces to detect impending epidemics in East Africa at an early stage. To this end a regional network of mobile laboratories is being set up for Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Southern Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. And now, in the corona crisis, the technology is much-needed.

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Ouagadougou Burkina Faso

Strict rules in Burkina Faso

The corona virus has arrived in Africa. Verena Le Chuiton, head of the KfW office in Burkina Faso, reports on how the office is maintaining operations under the difficult conditions and where the greatest dangers are currently to be seen.

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Reactive robotics

New medical technology proves its value

Robot technology for mobilising intensive care patients, digital consultation hours, artificial intelligence for disinfection control - innovative technologies help the medical sector in the fight against the corona pandemic. KfW Stories presents four companies.

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protective clothing hospital

Intermediary in times of crisis

The start-up scoutbee developed a platform to bring together buyers and suppliers. During the coronavirus crisis, the company is helping to locate urgently needed medical equipment such as protective suits and breathing tubes.

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