A methodology for stabilization and reconstruction, drawing on Ukraine’s experience, local economic development practice, and gender-responsive programming. Framing the Challenge When war displaces not only people but entire enterprises, the economic fabric of a country tears in ways that humanitarian aid alone cannot repair. Ukraine’s full-scale war since 2022 has produced one of the most … Read more
Climate protection and sustainable development are two sides of the same coin. Karsten Weitzenegger Consulting is a registered supporter of the Stiftung Allianz für Entwicklung und Klima (Foundation Alliance for Development and Climate), Germany’s leading platform connecting voluntary climate action with measurable development impact in the Global South. What is the Alliance for Development and … Read more
Building Competence Across Borders: Karsten Weitzenegger and I.M.M.A. Effective consulting in international development goes hand in hand with rigorous, practice-oriented capacity building. That is why Karsten Weitzenegger is registered as an Individual Expert with the International Management & Marketing Academy (I.M.M.A.) — a Hamburg-based institution with decades of experience developing professional competencies across sectors and … Read more
The Global Gateway (GG) Investment Climate Reform (ICR) Facility is one of the most strategically interesting instruments at the interface of investment, reform and sustainable development. It connects Global Gateway initiatives with the often underestimated institutional side of economic transformation: rules, procedures and incentives that determine whether investment actually translates into growth, jobs and local … Read more
The following references reflect a track record of Karsten Weitzenegger built over more than 30 years of consulting and evaluation work across Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe. Business & Private Sector Germany / Multi-region: Evaluated the Chamber and Association Partnership Program KVP of the German Savings Bank Foundation as Senior Evaluator, funded by BMZ … Read more
With over 30 years of hands-on experience across more than 40 countries and mandates from EU, BMZ, GIZ, KfW, United Nations, and multilateral banks, Karsten Weitzenegger delivers results across the full spectrum of international development consulting: Cooperation Policy & Partnerships — Karsten designs and evaluates complex bilateral and multilateral cooperation frameworks, drawing on 20+ years … Read more
What Is the Global Gateway? The EU Global Gateway is Europe’s flagship external investment strategy, aiming to build smart, clean, and secure connections in digital, energy, and transport sectors while strengthening health, education, and research systems worldwide. Originally targeting EUR 300 billion in mobilised investment by 2027, the strategy has already surpassed that goal, reaching … Read more
(tl;dr) East Africa’s startup scene is booming – but many incubators and accelerators are stuck in a cycle of donor dependence, generic programmes and weak investor trust. A new William Davidson Institute study maps these system failures and, more importantly, presents 25 concrete solutions: from revenue-generating “acceleration as a service” and sector‑specific support, to venture … Read more
Economic inclusion programs are already reaching tens of millions of women, yet too many of these initiatives treat women as beneficiaries rather than co‑designers of change. The Partnership for Economic Inclusion (PEI) has mapped over 400 economic inclusion programs in 88 countries, benefiting more than 70 million people; 90 percent target women, but only about … Read more
In the midst of war, Ukrainian women are not only holding the fabric of society together – they are building the future of its economy. The webinar “Female Entrepreneurship in Times of War,” hosted on December 3, 2025, by the Secretariat of the Platform for the Reconstruction of Ukraine and Germany Trade and Invest GmbH, … Read more
Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has unveiled a new action plan, “Strong Partnerships for a Successful Economy Worldwide”, marking a major shift in the country’s development cooperation strategy. This plan, introduced by Federal Minister Alabali Radovan, aims to forge deeper ties between German businesses and development policy, blending commercial opportunities with … Read more
The recent “Time for Take-Off: The WTO and the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement” interactive workshop, held at the Hamburg Sustainability Conference on June 2, 2025, convened decision-makers and thought leaders to explore how the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement (IFDA) can significantly benefit developing countries. Moderated by Axel Berger, Deputy Director of the German … Read more
