German industrial production declined unexpectedly in February, with the energy-price shock from the conflict in the Middle East expected to hamper output further, the Wall Street Journal reported. Production fell 0.3% on month in February, after an upwardly revised flat reading for January, Germany’s statistics agency Destatis said Thursday. A consensus of economists polled last week by The Wall Street Journal instead expected a 0.5% increase in February.

Insolvency proceedings are being opened for a portfolio of 175 hotels linked to Revo, according to German industry reports, HotelNewsResource.com reported. The scale of the portfolio makes the case one of the more significant recent insolvency developments in the German hotel sector, drawing attention to underlying financial pressures facing some operators in Europe’s largest hospitality market. Details regarding the portfolio's financial structure and the specific causes of the insolvency have not been fully disclosed.

Danish Volkswagen supplier Støtek A/S, based in Vojens, has filed for administration, according to boosted.dk. The relevant insolvency court in Sønderborg has placed the company into administration. As a result of the insolvency, all 55 employees have been made redundant. Støtek specialised in highly advanced melting and dosing furnaces for the aluminium industry and supplied the automotive sector in particular. Its customers included Volkswagen, Audi and BMW. Notably, the company had previously been praised by Volkswagen itself for its efficiency.

The total number of corporate bankruptcies in Germany rose to its highest level in more than ​a decade last year, according to data published ‌by the federal statistics office on Friday, Reuters reported. Local courts registered 24,064 corporate insolvency filings, 10.3% more than in the previous year, ​according to the figures. "2025 was an especially weak ​year for Germany as a place to do ⁠business," said Volker Treier, chief analyst for the German ​Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK).

A private foundation co-founded by former real estate tycoon Rene Benko has collapsed into insolvency after a court ruled it owed sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Investment Co about €1 billion on soured investments, Bloomberg News reported. Laura Privatstiftung filed for insolvency in Innsbruck, deeming it didn’t have the means to meet its obligations to Mubadala, it said in a statement. The foundation was co-founded by Benko in 2006, and some of its units became deeply intertwined with the financing of his sprawling Signa real estate and retail empire.

The British industrial group Langley Holdings had announced that Manroland Sheetfed's financial situation was "unsustainable" and that several options were being considered for the future of the business, PrintIndustry.news reported. The owner of the sheetfed offset press manufacturer has now taken the next step. Manroland Sheetfed, based in Offenbach am Main, Germany, has filed for insolvency under the "Schutzschirmverfahren" regime.

World leaders announced their most forceful response to the surge in oil prices since the war in Iran began at the end of last month, with Japanese and German officials saying they would release oil from their strategic reserves, the New York Times reported. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Japan would begin releasing oil as early as next Monday. Less than an hour later, Germany’s economy minister, Katherina Reiche, said her country would also release oil. Austria will also release oil from its reserves, the country’s economy minister, Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer, said.

Manroland Sheetfed has entered into a “protective shield” form of insolvency proceedings, with the support of parent Langley Holdings, PrintWeek.com reported. Last month Langley Holdings said that mounting losses at the “beleaguered” press manufacturing subsidiary had become unsustainable – the business lost €43.2m (£37.64m) last year – and the board was considering its options for the business. Today (3 March), Langley announced that Manroland Sheetfed had entered ‘Schutzschirmverfahren’ insolvency proceedings, similar to chapter 11 in the US, with Langley providing financial support.