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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Joanna Partridge in Mulfingen

‘It is one minute before midnight’: the view from Germany’s industrial heartland

Fan manufacturer EBM Papst, Mulfingen
Fan manufacturer ebm-papst employs about 4,000 people in Mulfingen. Photograph: Frank Bauer/The Guardian

The winding route through the German countryside from Stuttgart to the small town of Mulfingen gives few clues that this south-west region is home to several companies that are global market leaders in their field.

But north-east Baden-Württemberg boasts several successful specialist firms which make up the Mittelstand, the base of small and medium-sized engineering businesses that are the backbone of the German economy and are envied around the world.

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