Foreign Direct Investment and the Globalization of the German Industry in the 1970s
Ludwigshafen/Germany
Organizer: Gesellschaft für Unternehmensgeschichte e.V.
Location: BASF SE, Visitor Center
Postcode: 67063
City/ Location: Ludwigshafen
Country: Deutschland
Takes place: In person
Date: 08.10.2025
Website: https://unternehmensgeschichte.de/AK-GlobalEconomy
On 8 October, the Gesellschaft für Unternehmensgeschichte (Society for Business History) will host the first meeting of the working group «Global Economy and Multinational Enterprises» (GEME) at BASF in Ludwigshafen, Germany. The workshop will explore how German corporations responded to global economic turbulence through shifting strategies in FDI.
Foreign Direct Investment and the Globalization of the German Industry in the 1970sThe world in the 1970s – the years of two oil price shocks, currency turbulence and the emergence of «new protectionism» – placed particular pressure on German business. Having connected with global markets primarily via exports, currency appreciation and trade protection quickly devalued this strategy. Many industries therefore chose to engage in offshoring production and the world saw a rapidly increasing stream of German FDI. On the other hand, German industry became an interesting target for inbound FDI, particularly from OPEC states, looking for secure investment.
The workshop meeting aims at addressing this well-known macroeconomic situation from a Business History perspective. Based on archival research in corporate archives, we want to discuss how corporations reacted to this dynamic global economic environment. What was the driving force and the main motivation for increasing FDI? To what extent did government subsidies influence the decision-making? Did European integration play a significant role? What specific challenges did corporations face in particular foreign markets? How was the FDI financed and which role did the parallel revolution in international banking play? The workshop will convene four empirically grounded talks and provide space for discussion and networking.
The workshop will be held in English.
Programm
13:00 - Introduction
Jan-Otmar Hesse, University of Bayreuth / Society for Business History Germany
13:30 - Keynote
The Role of FDI-Research in Business History
Neil Rollings, University of Glasgow
14:45 - Market Entry in China: The case of Sartorius, 1970s to 1990s
Caetano Franz, University of Gottingen / Sartorius AG
15:45 - Coffee Break
16:15 - When Quality Meets Sovereignty: German Footwear/Leather Companies in India’s Postcolonial Market
Christina Häberle, Leibniz Centre for Contemporary History Potsdam
17:15 - Elastic Images of Europe. The European Rubber Industry as Agent and Site of Europeanisation, 1950–1980
Tonio Schwertner, Humboldt University of Berlin
18:15 - Discussion and further Program of the Working Group
Working Group Chair - Election
19:00 - Close of Event
Kontakt
Christiane Borchert: borchert@unternehmensgeschichte.de