Mr. Kulitz, from an entrepreneur's perspective, when you look abroad: How do you feel?

The global political situation is indeed worrying. There have always been hotspots, but never so many at the same time in so many different places. Growing prosperity seems to divide people into winners and losers in their perception. This leads to divisions – economically, but also among educational strata.

Germany, as an export nation, is affected by such disruptions more than other countries. And the scarcity of raw materials and other goods also concerns me. More and more entrepreneurs are unsure whether and when they will receive the ordered goods. This slows down economic development and damages trust between partners.

Despite all this, things are not as bad as they seem. Those who have positioned their company solidly in the market or enter with a convincing project will continue to do good business internationally.

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What do you think – will "made in Germany" remain a global bestseller, or is the trend moving towards "fast and cheap"?

Both. Not everyone needs the highest quality for their company or project. Sometimes a product that doesn't last forever suffices. Moreover, quality differences are diminishing, and other countries are catching up.

Our unique selling point as German entrepreneurs is increasingly something else besides quality: reliability. Just consider the often underestimated topic of "complaints." Proper and clean handling of a complaint is "pure customer retention." Don't duck, admit mistakes, and do better. Customers appreciate this, worldwide.

However, we need to consider even more the significance of politics for the economy. My impression is that politicians and entrepreneurs live in different worlds. In these times of major political decisions, entrepreneurs need to devote more time to regulatory issues. And not only when it concerns their own company!

... does this explain your voluntary engagement?

With our authenticity and experience from economic life – the basis for a prosperous community committed to common welfare – we have weight and a voice beyond all party-political interests that we should use. Moreover, we cannot rely on others to pull the chestnuts out of the fire for us. That won't happen.

I was president of the IHK Ulm for 15 years and president of the Baden-Württemberg Chamber of Industry and Commerce for six years. You get around, meet many interesting people. I've participated in over 100 delegation trips, traveled with the Federal President, the Chancellor, Prime Ministers, and many state ministers. And I particularly enjoyed participating in the IHK program "Entrepreneurs in Schools" to explain what an entrepreneur actually does and how important it is to take one's life into one's own hands. Sharing one's experiences, visions, and stories with young people is a fantastic task.

That's what enriches me. Not looking at the account balance.

Do your five children think the same way? Who will one day take over the family business?

Each of them should first seek and find what they are passionate about and develop a love for. Whether that is in the family business or elsewhere. I also worked as a lawyer for several years before taking over the management from my late father. His credo was: "You must always stand on multiple legs and not put everything on one card." I have always adhered to that.

What matters to me is the attitude towards employees. They should know: If they have a problem, they can come to the boss. This is simply our responsibility as entrepreneurs – doing good work and caring for the people around us.