Berlin and Brandenburg form the German Capital Region, one of Europe’s most energetic business locations. Berlin-Brandenburg is larger than Belgium and has more inhabitants than Denmark, Norway or Finland. Berlin, the capital of Germany since the reunification, and the State of Brandenburg which surrounds it, are ideal partners.
Since the eastward expansion of the EU and the revitalization of links to neighboring countries in Eastern Europe, the Berlin-Brandenburg region has become the new geographic center of the continent, a location for improved cooperation between East and West.
Proximity to Command Centers
Berlin and Brandenburg, the German Capital Region, form Germany’s executive center. The parliament, the government, 136 embassies, and more than two hundred German and international business and scientific associations are located here. The proximity to decision-makers ensures optimum conditions for R&D, production and marketing. Moreover, 94 regional and 22 national newspapers are present here, as well as 26 news agencies and all the major international newspapers and broadcasters.
Skilled Workforce and High Productivity
The workforce in the Berlin-Brandenburg region is the most skilled in Germany. Some 180,000 students attend the region’s seven universities and twenty-one institutes of technology. You can be sure of finding the skilled employees that your business needs among the 19,000 new graduates that enter the regional job market each year.
Moreover, businesses in the Berlin-Brandenburg region are highly productive. Local subsidiaries of Western German and foreign companies show productivity up to 140% above the national average.
Did you know that twenty-nine Nobel Prize winners have been members of the region’s universities? Or that 10 to 15% of Germany’s scientists - some 50,000 - are concentrated in Berlin and Brandenburg?
The people of Berlin and Brandenburg have the business expertise and language skills that enable you to break into new markets. Nationals of more than 180 countries live in the German Capital Region. Most of them are highly skilled, motivated, flexible and ready to compete in international markets. Skilled employees for practically all industries are available in the Berlin-Brandenburg region.
Flexible Working Hours
The standard working hours are more flexible in Berlin and Brandenburg than in western Germany. The weekly average is 35.7 hours in western Germany, but 38 hours in the German Capital Region. Regardless of this statistical figure, however, many employees are accustomed to working forty hours or more a week.
State-of-the-art Infrastructure
Major trans-European routes cross the Berlin-Brandenburg region. State-of-the-art autobahns, railroads and waterways connect the German Capital Region with many destinations. And beginning in 2011, the new Berlin-Brandenburg International Airport (BBI) will improve the region’s connections to Eastern Europe and Asia.
Affordable Real-estate
You are sure to find an appropriate location for your business in the Berlin-Brandenburg region. Whether a modern office building, a user-friendly service facility, or a large-scale manufacturing plant - affordable properties of all kinds are available in the German Capital Region.
Excellent Investment Incentives
The Berlin-Brandenburg region offers Europe’s best investment incentives. Subsidies cover up to 30% of the investment for large companies and up to 50% for SMEs. Moreover, state and federal agencies actively support R&D projects. Investors in the region benefit from the special federal programs to promote development in Eastern Germany. Last but not least, the trade tax rate in Brandenburg is as much as 20% lower than in some western German regions.
Optimum Quality of Life
A perfect mix of vibrant city life in the German capital and the fascination of its natural surroundings make Berlin and Brandenburg a unique place to work and enjoy life. You will feel at home here - and appreciate the wonderful landscapes at your doorstep.
The German Capital Region offers a wide range of leisure activities: 2,000 kilometers of cycle tracks, another 2,000 kilometers of hiking trails, 22 golf courses, more than a hundred equestrian centers, many tennis clubs, a dozen adventure pools, numerous wellness facilities, Europe’s longest inline skating path, and Europe’s largest network of waterways, including more than 3,000 lakes.
Brandenburg also offers an outstanding cultural landscape that includes more than five hundred palaces and manors, three opera houses, 130 theaters, 220 museums, a number of world-famous symphony orchestras, and an extremely diverse club and music scene.
Taken all together, the Berlin-Brandenburg region is an exciting place to live and work.