Pension Overhaul Push: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz backed a pension reform package that would gradually raise the retirement age beyond 67, scrap early retirement at 63, and expand compulsory contributions—aimed at keeping pensions secure amid an ageing society. Business Slowdown Watch: A Reuters/S&P Global survey showed Germany’s private sector activity contracted fastest in 18 months in June, with services driving the decline and new business falling again. AI Adoption Gap: Reuters highlighted that audiences are still cautious about AI news chatbots: only 10% of people across 45 markets use them, even as German broadcasters and other newsrooms expand internal AI automation. Energy Security via Heat Pumps: A European Heat Pump Association analysis says heat pumps cut estimated €9.7bn in energy import costs last year, turning home heating into a broader energy-security issue. EV & Charging Expansion: XCharge launched GridOne, an all-in-one PV-ESS system for commercial and industrial sites, while HARDHITTER showcased fleet-focused charging and energy management at Power2Drive Europe in Munich. Critical Minerals Deal: Energy Fuels agreed to buy German magnet maker VAC to build a mine-to-magnet supply chain, targeting defense and automotive demand. AI Infrastructure Funding: Irish startup TensorX raised €8m for sovereign AI inference hardware in Europe using Nvidia Blackwell GPUs. Solar Market Outlook: SolarPower Europe warned 2026 will be the first global solar contraction in two decades, largely tied to China policy shifts.