Strategic Management

Through long-term and goal-oriented strategy development, we ensure flexibility in responding to market changes and the ability to seize new opportunities effectively.

The depth of the IBB Group's value chain can be simplified into the familiar areas of procurement, production, and distribution.

Procurement – How Do We Finance Our Promotion?

• Government funds (EU, federal government, Berlin state)
• Money and capital markets, including issuing bonds

Production – How Do We Promote?

Primarily, financial services are provided, which involve efforts in:

• Compliance measures
• Community engagement (marketing)
• Social responsibility toward employees (personnel costs)
• Operational environmental protection and resource efficiency (technical innovation, procurement, customer service, etc.)

Distribution – What Do We Promote?

• Loans
• Grants
• Guarantees
• Equity investments

The IBB Group identified its stakeholders at the start of its sustainability process and regularly reviews them as part of its annual strategy process. Key stakeholders include the Land of Berlin, customers from the labor market, real estate, and business development sectors, representatives of politics and policy-related organizations, chambers and associations, as well as IBB Group employees, who have a vested interest in its development.

These stakeholder groups are represented in the committees of IBB UV and the Advisory Board, which is appointed by the Board of Directors. The Corporate Governance Report and the Board of Directors' Report, included in the Annual Report, provide yearly updates on the collaboration with the Board of Directors.

A key element of our stakeholder dialog is the customer and employee survey. The results are shared with the Management Board, employees, employee representatives, and the Board of Directors. Both clients and employees consistently highlight the attractive development and financing offers, as well as the expertise and specialized knowledge, as key strengths of IBB as a development bank.

It is encouraging that the IBB brand is increasingly recognized by customers as "digitalized." However, bureaucracy, lengthy and complex application processes, and long processing times remain the most frequently cited weaknesses. On a positive note, customer willingness to recommend IBB remains high, with just over four out of five customers stating they are likely to recommend the bank to others.

Additionally, almost nine out of ten employees would recommend IBB as an employer. It is also worth noting that around 80 percent of employees report feeling "fairly well" to "very well" informed about current events at the bank.

Since 2017, participants in the survey have also been asked about their expectations of IBB as a sustainable development bank. For stakeholders, this means supporting sustainable projects and businesses, incorporating sustainability into corporate policies, and managing resources responsibly—examples include improved digitization, efficient processes, reduced paper usage, and lower energy consumption. Over the past two years, results have remained largely stable: nearly half of clients rate IBB as “fairly good” or “very good” in fulfilling the criteria of a sustainable development bank, while only 13% do not associate this quality with IBB.

Both clients and employees continue to prioritize transparent corporate governance and business practices. Products for energy-efficient renovation and construction, the creation of high-quality, future-proof jobs, and the promotion of social and affordable housing are also considered highly significant. Notably, for the first time, the topic of “mitigating extreme weather events and sudden occurrences with significant economic impacts through funding” has achieved a similar level of importance.

Conversely, topics such as regular sustainability reporting, defining organizational principles and guidelines, or ecological and social sustainability in supply chains are consistently ranked lower in importance. However, aside from sustainability reporting, employees assign significantly greater importance to these topics. Compared to the last survey in 2021, the aspect of “commitment to ethical norms and anti-corruption” has gained importance among both clients and employees.

Another instrument of engaging with stakeholders is through regular publications and events on key funding topics. In the area of real estate funding, IBB annually publishes the IBB Housing Market Report and the IBB Housing Market Barometer, which surveys over 200 experts from various fields on central issues concerning Berlin’s housing market. The Berlin Real Estate Dialogue, held annually, highlights its purpose in its title—fostering exchange with stakeholders in Berlin’s real estate market—and provides a platform for professional discussions on topics such as social housing promotion, energy-efficient renovations, and achieving climate goals.