Search

High energy prices and major geopolitical shifts, paired with an accelerated global digitalisation of industries of economies worldwide and rising pressure to achieve sustainability goals, have created new uncertainties for German SMEs. Successfully navigating these changes, and in turn, seizing new growth opportunities, will require sustained and significant investments. Access to an appropriate and diverse set of financing sources will be critical. This paper examines current policy practices to help German SMEs access finance, with a particular focus on efforts to link growth to sustainability goals in the national policy mix. It provides a brief overview of the German SME landscape, including key strengths and challenges in the context of the twin transition, and discusses the financing instruments available to small businesses in the country, including those with growth ambitions. It then analyses federal government efforts to unleash finance for innovation, investment, and network expansion as drivers of SME growth, and how these efforts compare to other OECD countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the influence operations during Kenya's 2022 presidential elections, revealing their indigenous nature and the use of techniques seen in other global contexts. Topics discussed include the "commodification" of influence with the emergence of a market for hashtags and influencers, the primarily commercial motivations behind these operations, and the significant role of digital platforms in shaping political narratives.