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Bankruptcy shock: Europe's last solar glass manufacturer bankrupt!
The Brandenburg glass factory in Spree-Neiße files for bankruptcy, affecting 243 employees. Competitive pressure from China critical.
Bankruptcy shock: Europe's last solar glass manufacturer bankrupt!
Today, July 7, 2025, there is a bitter setback for the European solar industry: Glasmanufaktur Brandenburg (GMB) has filed for bankruptcy. This makes the company, which has been producing solar glass for around 15 years, the last representative of this industry in Europe. The insolvency application was submitted to the Cottbus district court on Friday and affects a total of around 250 jobs, of which 243 employees were already on short-time work. This reports n-tv.de.
The situation in Tschernitz in the Spree-Neiße district is particularly critical. This is a serious blow to the region, which already has little industry to show for it. District Administrator Harald Altekrüger emphasizes that the insolvency represents an immense challenge for the employees and announced support for those affected. State Economics Minister Daniel Keller also expressed his regret about the bankruptcy and cited the difficult competitive conditions in the European solar industry as a central point. In particular, competition from subsidized products from China poses a threat to the existence of GMB, as managing director Nico Succolowsky explains. An improvement in the framework conditions hoped for in the industry did not materialize; the federal government's latest draft law was passed without the necessary support rbb24.de.
EU activities and challenges
GMB's insolvency once again highlights the challenges facing the entire industry. According to Anna Cavazzini, a voice in the European Parliament, it is essential that the European Union does not fall behind as the global race for green industry and sustainable technologies advances. Fair competition must be guaranteed in order to counteract dumping through products that undermine social and environmental standards. It calls for the strengthening of the regulatory framework of the Green Deal as well as measures to strategically promote sustainable products through public procurement. Short-term measures are just as necessary as structural reforms of the customs union in order to ban illegitimate products from the market europarl.europa.eu.
Conclusion and outlook
It remains to be hoped that the bankruptcy of the last European solar glass manufacturer does not mean the final end for the industry. The current situation underlines the need for an intensive review and adjustment of the political framework in order to promote domestic production and make the solar industry in Europe competitive again. If solutions are not found soon, the European solar industry could find itself in serious trouble.