Ethics in the digital workplace
Digitisation and automation technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), can affect working conditions in a variety of ways and their use in the workplace raises a host of new ethical concerns.
Kelheim Fibres, a specialist in fibre production, will close at the end of March 2026. Around 400 employees in Kelheim (Bavaria) are affected and will now be receiving their termination notices. The company filed for insolvency in October 2025.
According to the company, the insolvency was driven by rising energy and raw material costs, as well as increasing price pressure from Asian competitors. They say it was no longer possible to operate profitably because prices for viscose fibres, Kelheim Fibres’ main product, had dropped significantly.
The company and the works council have agreed on a social plan and the creation of a transfer company.
Kelheim Fibres produces fibres used in products such as tampons, tea bags, and moist toilet paper.
Eurofound (2026), Kelheim Fibres, Bankruptcy in Germany, factsheet number 204111, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://apps.eurofound.europa.eu/restructuring-events/detail/204111.