00:01Crumbling infrastructure, a growth killer?
00:03The ravages of time are taking their toll.
00:07On potholed roads, thousands of dilapidated bridges,
00:10large parts of the rail network and many old-school buildings.
00:14In addition, the expansion of fibre-optic cable networks is barely progressing.
00:19Germany is losing its good reputation for its infrastructure.
00:23Yet infrastructure is crucial to the economy.
00:25It's the backbone of growth, competitiveness and prosperity.
00:30But for too long, infrastructure has been run into the ground
00:34and not enough has been invested in it.
00:37The result? Permanent bottlenecks, mega-traffic jams, road and bridge closures.
00:43According to a survey by the German Economic Institute,
00:4684% of companies, more than ever before,
00:49now complain about disruptions to road and rail transport.
00:53And 60% of businesses have major problems with the internet and mobile communications.
01:00Experts estimate that 600 billion euros will be needed over the next 10 years
01:04to clear the investment backlog.
01:06But even if the money is there, repairs are progressing slowly.
01:11There's a shortage of skilled workers.
01:14Germany is falling far behind in international rankings.
01:17Switzerland leads in terms of infrastructure quality, followed by Singapore, then the Netherlands,
01:24with Japan in fourth place.
01:26Germany usually ranks around 19th.
01:29One thing is clear, to remain internationally competitive, Germany must catch up.
01:34Not only do roads, bridges and railways urgently need renovation,
01:39but more broadband cables are required for digital communication.
01:43It's unlikely that Germany's infrastructure will be back in shape in just a few years.
01:48It will take decades, in some cases perhaps even centuries.
01:52But now is the time to start.
01:55Can a current event.
01:58In the future this year, choose from Europe.
02:01And the future this year, choose from Europe,
02:02the US, and our planet.
02:02The 수�rirate is a political event.
02:03The US, in Europe, is the US.
02:03The US, in Europe, is the US.
02:03To this year with the US, the US is a political event.
02:03The US will take place a huge andurile,
02:03the US will take place a huge impact on the world.
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