Inside the Handelsblatt Weekend Menu: From Willich to AI and Nomoo

Handelsblatt's weekend newsletter, signed by Julia Beil, deputy head of Wochenende & Report, opens with a deliberately low-key proposition: that the good life often lies close to home. The edition's opening essay references a colleague, Sebastian Dalkowski, who took a holiday by walking to the neighbouring town of Willich in North Rhine-Westphalia rather than flying or driving.

The edition then moves from that local experiment into a set of business and culture recommendations. They include a profile of Mirko Mondan, who joined Upper Palatinate industrial company Dorfner in 2020 and built an AI strategy to cope with broken supply chains, higher sustainability demands and scarce raw materials; an AI self-test based on questions a headhunter puts to applicants; and an explainer on the DAX's record run despite weak German economic data.

Consumer-focused pieces round out the package: Christine Weißenborn's suggestions for reducing smartphone overuse and avoiding what she calls 'digital dementia', a look at Howard Buffett's foundation work in Ukraine, eight technology book recommendations from Sven Prange, and a portrait of Cologne vegan ice cream brand Nomoo, which is trying to challenge Magnum after abandoning its former external brand identity.

The Thread Connecting Handelsblatt's Weekend Picks: Proximity and Attention

Trading Escape for Attention

The newsletter's framing is not just a lifestyle flourish; it argues that value often sits in overlooked local settings. That idea also surfaces in its company pick: Dorfner's AI strategy is presented as a model for German industrial SMEs that stay put and transform rather than relocate. The same logic appears in the Nomoo story, where a Cologne brand tries to grow by competing with global players from its home market.

Advertisement

AI Competence and Digital Distraction Are Two Sides of One Problem

The weekend package pairs an AI self-test with advice on smartphone overuse, treating attention and competence as scarce personal resources. A separate piece on the DAX reinforces a related split: the index can hit records while the domestic economy lags because the drivers are not purely local, as Ulf Sommer explains. Felix Oldenburg's column extends the thread to finance, arguing that green and social investments will not work as a mass product and should instead target wealthy clients, especially younger investors who want purpose alongside returns.

Which Handelsblatt Weekend Items Are Actually Worth Your Time

  • If you are hiring or preparing for interviews, use the Handelsblatt AI self-test and the headhunter's questions reported by Annika Keilen to benchmark your own AI competence before the next round.
  • For industrial SME leaders facing supply-chain, sustainability or raw-material constraints, read Anja Müller's profile of Mirko Mondan at Dorfner; the piece frames his AI strategy as a transferable playbook rather than a one-off project.
  • For anyone concerned about smartphone overuse, Christine Weißenborn's piece offers immediate steps to cut compulsive use and reduce the risk of what she calls 'digital dementia'.
  • If you follow German consumer brands, watch whether Nomoo's decision to drop its former external brand core helps it compete with Magnum while other small ice-cream makers have failed; the article does not provide sales figures, so treat the growth claim as directional.
  • For investors puzzled by the DAX's record run, Ulf Sommer's explainer separates index drivers from the weak German economy; read it before interpreting the rally as a domestic recovery signal.