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With a workforce of 870, half of whom work in Germany, Bionorica produces herbal medicines, including Bronchipret and Sinupret, well known remedies for the common cold. Organic remedies are becoming increasingly popular around the globe. The family business was founded in 1933 in Nuremberg and is today based in Neumarkt. For some years now it has been growing steadily, and today its products are sold as far afield as China, Russia and the USA.

The idea behind the company is as successful as it is labour-intensive. Bionorica does not copy what others have discovered. It does its own research and development. Currently it is working on natural remedies to treat allergies, sinusitis and urinary tract infections.

An impressive 15 percent of the company’s turnover is ploughed into research. This is an investment that only pays off over a longer period. “Here we can see that people and businesses in Germany think in very long-term dimensions,” said the Chancellor.

The same applies to investments in training. A well trained workforce and people with ideas made Germany strong, she pointed out. So that the country can emerge as swiftly as possible from the economic crisis, it is once again the people who are the crucial factor.

“We must safeguard this crucial advantage, our skilled workers and expertise,” Angela Merkel demanded. “We need their motivation, their diligence and their ability,” she declared, speaking to the workforce.

Where politicians can help and how

The Chancellor is currently visiting various regions of Germany to gain an impression of where the country’s strengths lie, and where managers see constraints. Bionorica’s chief executive Michael Popp, for instance, asked that the government do its best to introduce compulsory labelling which would distinguish clinically tested herbal remedies from those that have not undergone this rigorous testing. He also spoke of his hope that tax relief might be granted for disproportionate commitment to research.

Angela Merkel promised to do her best to ensure that more and easier export credit insurance is available. With the backing of the German government, these insurance policies cover deliveries abroad against risks such as non-payment.

Finally a surprise was planned for the Chancellor, which was not on the official programme. One class of the local Neumarkt primary school came to sing a special song for her. It was Angela Merkel’s birthday.