Made: Recent Episodes
Deutsche Welle
Made gives an inside view into the global econmy with gripping business reports from the heart of Europe. Our reporters are where the economic action is.
How can you contradict your boss? Kristina Becker considers strategies for letting a boss know what you think — without getting the sack.
Never a day passes without German companies complaining about a lack of skilled staff. One Göttingen firm offers its employees more than just good pay and careers — it makes them shareholders.
There are tens of thousands of women in leading roles at work in Germany. One of them is the publisher of Strive — a pioneering business magazine for women. Her regular job is leading a headhunting agency for top executives.
The Crescent Bahuman Group is one of Asia's largest textile manufacturers and a poster child for ethical manufacturing. Crescent prides itself on fair conditions and pay. Consumers can trace the clothes they buy back to the producer.
The UK is desperate for truck drivers as supply problems mount. Some British supermarkets have been empty for weeks. Where did all the truckers go? And how is their absence hitting the economy?
Pilots are returning to work after months at home. But the pandemic has changed things for air passengers and for the industry, which is having to reinvent itself.
After the demise of Concorde, supersonic commercial airliners were written off as too expensive, too dirty and too loud. But a comeback is now on the cards. New technology could make supersonic travel much greener, quieter and more efficient.
Josef Aschbacher has been head of the European Space Agency for over half a year. He wants ESA to give NASA a run for its money. To do that, he plans to overhaul the 46-year-old organization.
Let go, lift off, and just fly. And then? Like Krieger, we need to rely on our inner compass. It will show us the way.
There is a lot happening in space. Almost every week, rockets are sent up carrying satellites. Billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX owns about half of these satellites. But now European startups, including German ones, want to get on board.
Digital systems are increasingly voice-operated. Two-thirds of people in Africa are at a digital disadvantage due to not speaking a global language. The big tech companies focus on clients in Europe and the US – but why not Africa?
Germany is a car country. But times are changing. Electric vehicles are replacing gas guzzlers. Germany doesn't want to fall behind and is now investing in modern drive technology. Batteries made in Germany. Too late?
It’s been more than 100 years since the Bauhaus art school was founded. A number of products designed by its teachers and students are still being made. Officially under license, but also in unauthorized copies. And that can lead to lawsuits.
Lab-grown diamonds are taking some of the shine off the billion-dollar diamond business. Man-made diamonds are cheaper and more sustainable, and the technology used to produce them could also lead to innovations in other sectors.
Many science fiction films have become cinema classics. Movies in this genre often combine scientific tropes with imaginations of future technology. It's a blend shown to captivate audiences. Such productions are often expensive but also tend to generate huge profits.
People have always yearned to know what the future has in store for them — and have sought to find out with cards, crystal balls, and even tea leaves. So, what's Krieger's favorite fortune telling method?
In 2200, some people — those who can afford nanorobots that renew the body from within — will live to be 200. The wealthy live in cities in the clouds while, down on the Earth's surface, poor people suffer scorching heat waves and floods. Or could humanity's fate be different?
How will we live and work 30 years from now? Will our health be monitored to minimize illness and to ensure insurance premiums are adjusted? Likely our lives will be under constant surveillance. But the technological infrastructure of the future promises convenience.
Machines are becoming increasingly smarter. Artificial Intelligence is helping to make production processes more efficient. But could it actually take over the world one day?
A greenhouse made of solar panels. It's the brainchild of a German farming duo which could point the way for the whole agricultural industry. The pioneers who wanted to do the world a favor didn't find much favor with the authorities though.
The Frankfurt region is home to ever more data processing centers. An extensive glass fiber network, the proximity of major banks and the world's biggest Internet Exchange Point all draw investors. But power consumption is astronomical.
Women often have to choose between their career and having a family. And many are putting in even longer hours working at home due to COVID-19, while also doing the childcare and housework – while men are able to continue furthering their careers.
Most companies are still founded by men. This is often because women have a far harder time convincing investors than men – who have better networks. We present female founders from Germany and India facing different and also similar problems.
Racism remains a global problem. The Black Lives Matter movement has prompted companies to take a stance. How are they responding in the fight against discrimination?
All kinds of companies around the world are using the rainbow symbol as a statement in support of the LGBTQ movement. How does that impact their sales or corporate culture?
The media sector has seen huge changes on the job front. While firms have to respond to online debates with potentially millions of "followers”, online users now post their own stories, photos and videos. That’s where a social media manager comes in.
Two reporters are each given a teapot and two weeks to trade it upwards in value. Who will win and what will they both end up with? The return of bartering.
The invention of shipping containers enabled a huge growth in maritime transport. As vessels get ever larger, how much more expansion can global trade sustain?
Tech giants like Google and Amazon earn billions of dollars from their users' data. Now platforms like Bitsaboutme and Datawallet are allowing users to seize control of their online information trails - and profit from it themselves.
Small investors shocked the world when they banded together to send the GameStop on a rollercoaster ride. It was a direct attack on Wall Street hedge funds who had been betting agains the American retailer. But GameStop was just the begining.
Despite all of the downsides of the corona pandemic, it allowed us to discover things we hadn't noticed before. Krieger explores his neighborhood and discovers a tree that he calls "Chestnut." It's hardly a world first, but who cares!?
Forests aren't just a source of timber; they also protect the climate by storing CO2. That's why there are numerous reforestation projects all over the world. But despite these efforts, forests are still continuing to shrink worldwide.
Wood prices have exploded worldwide. Delivery times for wood products shipped to Europe are up to two months - unheard of for wood. The causes are mainly increased demand and high prices in the US and China. Is this a blessing for producers?
US President Joe Biden has pledged to invest billions in clean energy production to drastically cut America's greenhouse gas emissions. But such efforts are being undermined by an unexpected problem: Bitcoin mining with fossil fuels.
The exchange rate for Bitcoin is volatile to say the least. The cryptocurrency was originally intended as a payment method but is now seen mainly as an investment opportunity.
Drones are often seen as a pest or even a threat. But one German company has developed a helium balloon drone that does away with the some of the disadvantages of conventional drones and offers numerous applications both for industry and tourism.
Inventions have repeatedly changed our world. But often not immediately. It took years for both telephones and computers to gain acceptance, for example. Take a look at what happened to some revolutionary inventions and who profited in the end.
Pakistan is a leading producer of surgical instruments. The German town of Tuttlingen is a hub for medical instruments in Europe. Some companies there have products manufactured in Pakistan. What are the pros and cons of this trend for both sides?
There's a shortage of some 5.5 million homes on the American housing market. Supply is low, demand is high. Wealthy buyers can offer much more than the asking price which sparks a bidding war. Buying property in the USA often comes down to luck.
Who can still afford to buy property? In Germany, Colombia and Kenya, our on-location correspondents look at what things are like for potential buyers and the respective construction industries.
What would it take to build your dream home? One Swiss architect spent 40 years building his cathedral-like mansion. And an English architect built a 100% natural house entirely out of cork.
The difference between renting a home in Germany and India is huge. But there are similarities, like massive price hikes on the real estate market. How can the poorest still find somewhere to live?
Ancient cultures wanted to appease the gods with sacrifices. Today, massive bribes are paid to secure undue advantages – for example building contracts. But corruption is economically damaging, expensive, and poisons social morale.
Martin Herrenknecht turned his construction equipment company into a market leader. The entrepreneur supports alternative energy but opposes windmills—at least in his own backyard. Isn’t that a bit of a contradiction? A candid interview.
At the height of the coronavirus pandemic, the Hungarian government reformed aspects of the healthcare system. Doctor salaries have gone up significantly, but nursing and care workers have been left empty-handed. Two healthcare workers speak out.
Populists are toxic to the economy. Despite their bombastic promises of economic boom times ahead, they often drag down GDP. Their protectionist tendencies serve to isolate the country, and they also rack up debt.
Belarus and Hong Kong are two different regimes with two different authoritarian governments, but many of the results are the same. Young people and the highly educated flee, with devastating consequences for the countries and their economies.
Worldwide, our desire to be online 24/7 generates billions of wasted kWh. How much does the average family consume as they live their daily lives? Why don't businesses invest enough in energy-saving technology?
Everyone knows that we should save energy. But how is it actually done? And are the profits distributed fairly? Leading German climate expert Claudia Kemfert knows the dilemmas and explains the options.
The average German produces 500 kg of waste each year. Whole households end up in landfill. An alternative? Hamburg’s sanitation department sorts, reuses, repurposes, and resells discarded goods. But is it beneficial?
It's everywhere. Hundreds of millions of tons are produced each year and plastic is in countless products and packaging. And as we know it doesn't go away once it is discarded. The world is drowning in plastic trash.
Footage of new packaged items being destroyed at an Amazon logistics center has sparked public fury. Germany has banned the destruction of undamaged goods. But do people comply? What about surplus caused by the pandemic?
With the airline industry facing its biggest crisis ever, airlines and manufacturers are investing in sustainable options. Use of climate-neutral fuel is increasing, while Boeing plans to have its entire fleet flying on biofuel by 2030.
Pesticide manufacturer Hans-Dietrich Reckhaus is altering his products in order to spare insects. While he hasn’t completely changed his production, it’s a beginning. His first design saves fruit flies from certain death.
Vienna’s Go2market stocks a currently exclusive range of smoothies for dogs. If they prove popular, they might be given a large-scale launch. A trial-product supermarket where market research is part of the retail experience.
With barbers' shops closed during the pandemic, people took matters into their own hands –causing a huge surge in hair-clipper sales. It’s a similar story with computer equipment for people working from home.
Online retail has profited greatly from the pandemic. And social media sites have been quick to start another new trend – with their own virtual shops targeting one demographic in particular: Generation Z.
Krieger doesn't recognize the real world anymore and wants to create a reality like the background picture of a video conference. He feels lost in today's reality and wants to go back to the chat room.
To stop another wave of the coronavirus, vaccinations are needed worldwide simultaneously. Yet while rich countries have high vaccination rates, emerging countries are lagging behind. The costs are enormous for them.
A year after many economists predicted a catastrophic economic downturn, DW reporter Ben Fajzullin ventured out to see just how hard the coronavirus has hit the economy.
Critical raw materials like lithium, rare earths and graphite are in high demand, but in most places they're not readily available. A team of geologists is working to find them in northern Europe - to allow the EU to be less dependent on China.
Smartphones couldn't exist without rare earths. They cause it to vibrate, for example, and display vivid colors. So rare earth elements are in huge demand worldwide. But mining them is difficult and bad for the environment, and reserves are finite.
The middle class often stands for growth and stability in a society. But there is still no universal definition, due to differing bases of analysis. Is purchasing power a better indicator than income? We check the facts.
Countless factories and farms around the world depend on migrant workers. But the pandemic is making life increasingly difficult for migrant labor – as we find out in our report here from India and Germany.
The UN estimates there were 164m migrant workers in the world in 2017. But Covid-19 related travel restrictions and curfews have put a halt to the usual waves of labor migration. Some workers returned to their family homes after losing their jobs.
Staying in fancy hotels, gracing the front row at fashion shows, dining in hip restaurants - and posting it all on Instagram. The global pandemic has put a stop to the glamorous lives of influencers and left them trapped at home. How are they coping?
Who is “middle class”? In Rwanda it’s a very small group of people, while in Russia it comprises 20 % and in Germany almost half of the population. Three people from three countries: their social progress, their lifestyles and their dreams.
Amazingly, the simple toilet may have saved more lives than vaccines, organ transplants and penicillin combined. We go on a short journey through the history of the plumbing industry.
The COVID-19 pandemic means many of us are no longer traveling to work. That makes outdoor activity and sports more important than ever. When we sit too long, muscles break down and problems start. So just get out and exercise!
Since the coronavirus struck, telemedicine and virtual visits to the doctor have been booming. Patients can book an appointment to speak remotely to a physician online. Swedish startup Kry has made an app to make it easier.
The recent success of BioNTech could encourage more investment in innovative startups. But most need wealthy venture capitalists to provide the necessary cash. What are the risks and what are the possible rewards?
With much of the world still in the grip of the pandemic, millions of people have taken to wearing FFP2 masks to protect themselves and others. Where are they produced, and can they be recycled? Get the answers right here.
Green investment is taking over financial markets. More than $300 billion flowed into "sustainable" assets last year, smashing the previous year's record. But investing "green" is harder than it sounds. "Greenwashing", misleading marketing, and a lack of global regulation make this booming market a minefield for investors.
The Pakistani city of Sialkot lies at the heart of worldwide production of footballs. Located between Lahore and Islamabad, some 40 million balls are made here every year. In recent times, the manufacturers have faced more scrutiny as consumers pay closer attention to where their kits and footballs come from. We want to find out how fair the industry's production processes really are.
German society is diverse. But appreciating and respecting difference in corporate culture is often easier said than done. The human resources departments of most major companies in Germany have made questions of diversity a central theme.
Racism is a global problem. Following the death of George Floyd, large companies felt compelled to react to the Black Lives Matter movement. What role does the businesses world play in the fight against racism?
Objective job interviews via artificial intelligence – sounds very promising. More and more companies are using software to diversify their workforces. But analyses show that this software often makes misogynistic and racist employment decisions.
Do men and women have the same opportunities? Not by a long shot—and that has material financial consequences. For there to be true gender equality, a lot of laws will have to be changed. Here are some examples.
Russia's capital has taken a step toward gender equality. Since January of 2021, women can drive the subways again. Until recently, there were 456 professions that women in Russia couldn't participate in. The list still includes 100 jobs.
The future is now: Today, a virtual Mona Lisa or a cat meme can be worth millions. Welcome to the world of NFTs. Fraudulent — or the future of the art world?
Owning cryptocurrency is turning many people's lives upside down. Whose fate is altered by Bitcoin? DW shares two stories of "Coinowners." Who are they? What have they experienced, and what do they think of Bitcoin today?
What does a Corona test have to do with cryptocurrency? Technology that seems abstract to the average consumer is present in our everyday lives. DW explains with a glimpse into the future.
Bitcoin, ethereum, Monero: Cryptocurrencies can be loaded onto your smartphone in exchange for local currency, and you can buy many things online with them. There are now almost 4100 of these digital currencies - how do they actually work?
Recently, the value of Bitcoin has risen massively. Other cryptocurrencies have also climbed, some only to plunge again. Companies like Tesla accept Bitcoin as payment. But critics warn: Cryptocurrencies are too unstable and best left to gamblers.
Harley-Davidson’s LiveWire electric motorbike lacks the classic Harley sound. But can it hold its own against up and coming Zero and its electric bike SR/S? We find out!
Every year thousands of cyclists around the globe die in traffic. Often, truck drivers fail to see cyclists when turning at junctions. For years, there have been calls for blind-spot assistance technology to be made compulsory. Is it the solution?
Tesla has spearheaded the development of electric mobility. For a long time, the world’s largest automaker - Volkswagen - was content to stand by and watch. Now the group is playing catchup, pledging to switch increasingly to all-electric.
Green and car-free, that's what many would like for our inner cities. Parts of Copenhagen and Barcelona are already there. But we don’t just need more pedestrian zones. Tomorrow’s cities should be places where we shop, work and live.
For six months now, thousands of Indian farmers have been besieging Delhi with a protest camp. Their colleagues in Germany also stage regular demonstrations in central Berlin. We hear why they all feel mistreated by their governments.
10 years ago 74 members of the UN set themselves an enormous task: to restore 3.5 million km2 of the world’s rainforests by 2030. But how exactly will that be possible?
We tend to throw an awful lot of things away. They end up in landfill or are incinerated. This is not good for the environment. But many products could be designed to be reused or recycled or become the raw materials for other products.
Big companies look virtuous when they say they make products from plastic recovered from the oceans. Another reason to buy, say, Adidas shoes or Coca-Cola in recycled bottles. Our reporter has found that it is not what it seems to be.
Most urban building still involves concrete – and the cement industry accounts for three times more CO2 emissions than commercial aviation. How about climate-neutral wood? Berlin is home to a growing number of buildings using the natural material.
Traffic jams cost us time and money. Ant highways are also super-busy – but clearly run a lot smoother. Those insect insights could be translated into better traffic conditions in the human world.
Many consider e-cars a sustainable alternative to gasoline- and diesel-powered transportation. But it’s not that straightforward. We analyze some of the issues.
Berlin’s population grows by about 20,000 a year. Forecasts say the city will be home to 4 million people by 2030. Its streets are increasingly busy as cars, cyclists and pedestrians vie for space. We talk to experts about sustainable solutions.
Affordable housing of adequate size and location is pure luxury in many cities. Leilani Farha, a former UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing, is calling on the global real estate sector to recognize that housing is a human right.
Women are often worse at negotiating at work — and not just when it comes to salary issues. Here are five tips from an expert to do it better!
Germany is considered one of the world's richest countries, but over 5.6 million people suffer from poverty in old age. Many of them have worked for decades, yet their pensions are not enough. How do they survive?
China is increasingly becoming a key trading partner for Germany. But is it a good economic partnership? DW takes a look from Berlin to Beijing and talks with the German Chambers of Commerce in Beijing.
Spain may be emerging from a third wave of the pandemic, but its tourism industry remains in a deep crisis. Hotels and restaurants are closed or empty. Benidorm, the epicenter of mass tourism on the Costa Brava, is eerily quiet.
The divide has to do with access to technology, skills and jobs. It exists within and between countries. The pandemic has hastened a shift to the digital economy. 40% of the world's population are still offline. Many risk further marginalization.
A key myth of capitalism is that free markets and small government are the keys to prosperity and progress. In the pandemic, businesses are collapsing and governments taking center stage. Is political economy in need of a major overhaul?
Sarna Röser heads Germany's Association of Young Entrepreneurs. She says government aid to companies has been slow to arrive and poorly organized. The association calls on the government to set out an exit strategy from current pandemic restrictions.
Stefan Hienzsch's cleaning company folded in Germany's first lockdown. Luckily, he had other skills he could call on to grow another business. He's one of the lucky ones.
Bottled water is very big business. Water sommelier is a new kind of occupation. To practice it, one has to learn about all kinds of barely perceptible differences. We visited a training course.
Millions of people in the capital of the Philippines don’t have enough clean water. To improve things the government plans to build a dam to supply Manila with 600m liters of water a day. But it would uproot many people from their village homes.
What should water cost? Who should provide it? Is it morally acceptable for companies to profit from selling it to those who need it? Sophia Maria Schmidt, involved in the Students4Water project, discusses the issues. She says the price should rise.
It takes 8,000 liters to make a pair of jeans: we use a lot more water than we realise. Virtual water is a term for water used to make products. In effect, we even import water from drought-stricken regions in coffee or meat. What can we do about it?
Tesla's plan to build a huge new factory near Berlin has triggered a debate in Germany about protecting groundwater. In Delhi people have to queue for drinking water. Water parks are booming on Bali. Water scarcity is a global problem.
A strong tailwind is boosting renewable energy sources, and as wind turbines get taller and taller, their blades are getting longer and longer. We visit a wind farm under construction in Germany.
Daytrading has been booming during the pandemic. As lots of retail investors also join in, stock prices have been soaring. But in this very risky business it’s easy to lose big. Chelsey Dulaney tried out daytrading for herself.
Micro-homes mean very limited space, but more and more people are interested in downsizing their accommodation. We meet a tiny-house builder in Germany, and an architect in Hong Kong who says small homes are key to overcoming homelessness.
Tiny particles are found in lots of modern products from skin cream to glue. But there is reason to suspect that some kinds could be dangerous to our health and the environment.
In recent decades scientists and engineers have learned to make and manipulate nanoparticles and nanostructures and deploy them in products and processes. The range of applications is enormous and expanding fast.
Artificial intelligence could make the world an even unfairer place. It tends to base its decisions on biased information. We talk to professor Kate Crawford about the social impact of AI.
Over 4 billion people are set to be vaccinated in 2021. The United Nations and its partners want to ensure that emerging nations also get access to vaccines. We talked with a representative of the Gavi vaccine alliance.
The entire populations of industrialized countries are expected to be vaccinated by the end of 2021. In emerging nations, however, that might not happen until 2022 at the earliest. Is that fair?
Working from home has become a nightmare for Krieger: video conferencing marathons. Then, another Krieger appears as his counterpart and admonisher who gives him helpful hints.