Where businessworks! Düsseldorf Live close Feel free Stockholm Airport with over 120 min 200 global destinations Glasgow 100 min Warsaw 500,000 100 min companies in a 50km radius London Düsseldorf 85 min Prague 75 min Paris Vienna 75 min Zurich 90 min 80 min A short distance to Europe’s 11.4 million most important cities 135 min Rome Barcelona 12 0 min residents live an hour’s drive away, Madrid Germany’s largest economic area 160 min Every 7th company 118.8 is foreign purchasing power Among the cities with the highest index quality of life in the world 70 private and public universities Largest hub for Japanese businesses in continental Europe Most important German hub for the information and communication industry Germany’s most dynamic location for Chinese companies leading international trade shows Companies from countries invest in 520,000 jobs 139 Düsseldorf in the city 4 Where business works Where business works 5 Home of innovation – Fashion | Highest sales in Germany Königsallee | One of Europe’s most exclusive shopping streets Live close Feel free. People from Düsseldorf love to connect with each other and the rest of the world. The city of short dis- tances is home to residents from over 180 countries – a place that brings people from around the world together. Marking the meeting point of the Düssel and Rhine Rivers, Düsseldorf is a cosmopolitan, urban place unlike any other. Innovation from tradition. Where else can a steel corporation Henkel | Düsseldorf company with a long be transformed into a telecommunications giant? Or a laundry tradition, yet still drives innovation detergent producer into the world’s largest glue manufacturer? Here, startups emerge to become major global enterprises – and the long-time “office of the industrial Ruhr” is quickly becoming the “lab of the future”. Düsseldorf has always understood the need for structural change, and has driven this transformation over the past several decades. The region’s long-standing indus- try and production players work closely with the city’s extensive service sector, which thrives from its proximity to so many cus- tomers. In turn, industry benefits from the valuable momentum that comes from the area’s many innovative and tech-oriented providers. In Düsseldorf, innovation and creativity are the keys to the evolution of this competitive international hub – and its MedienHafen | A former commercial port became an exclusive office location future success. 6 Where business works – good reasons to start your company here Where business works – good reasons to start your company here 7 Business starts in Düsseldorf In the same league as London, Paris and Munich. More affordable than London, more multilingual than Why Paris, with a larger market environment than Munich: Incubator for innovation it’s obvious why Düsseldorf attracts investors from the Pages 08–13 entire world. With the strongest buying power of any 01 region in Europe and conveniently linked to the entire world by air, water, rail and road, the city is an ideal Düssel place to sell goods and services. The city is home to around 5,000 international companies, all of whom enjoy what makes this such an ideal place to do business. One major factor is dorf ... Düsseldorf’s location, right in the heart of Europe. The city also powers the entire Rhine-Ruhr region, with 11.4 million residents. Around 30 percent of the total EU-population lives in a 500 kilometer radius, making up 50 percent of the EU’s purchasing power – a very 02 lucrative sales market for businesses located here. Urban lifestyle Young professionals, well-educated specialists and international talents alike move to Düsseldorf to work Pages 14–17 for companies large and small. Many of them come from the nearly 70 public and private universities in the region. Plug & play Pages 24–29 From startups to global players, Düsseldorf is a place in which companies can thrive at every point in their development. The city is home to a broad range of different sectors, including retail, industry, informa- 04 tion and communication technology, creative indus- tries, fashion and beauty, legal and corporate consult- ing, and personnel services. This gives companies local Facts & figures | Page 30 access to every kind of service they may need, creates synergies, and makes this city a strong, economically stable site for business success. 03Talents & locations Pages 18–23 01 Incubator for innovation 10 Where business works – Incubator for innovation Where business works – Incubator for innovation 11 A new way of thinking Live close Feel free – bringing creatives and entrepreneurs together. Major innova- tive companies, like Vodafone, Henkel, Ergo and Ceconomy, all operate in Düsseldorf and are open to partnerships and collaborations. Vodafone has its Vodafone Innovation Park in Düsseldorf, while Vallourec, Voestalpine, Renesas and NEC have located their research and development facilities to the city. The 3 largest mobile telecommunications providers – Vodafone, Telekom and Telefónica – are all represented here, along with the most import- ant network equipment makers, like Huawei, ZTE, Nokia and Oracle. Large companies like Deloitte Digital, SMS digital and Grohe estab- lished their digital units in Düsseldorf for good reason: it is a technology and service hub that promotes talent and innovation. The vibrant startup environment is an import- ant part of Düsseldorf’s culture of innovation. Companies especially benefit from this cre- ative, innovative scene when using their agile methods to develop new products. Startups Innovation hub | Universities and companies collaborate on digital innovations have the experts who offer quick access to technological innovations – and the doers who transform new ideas into reality. Companies like IOX LAB, Aconno and the EOS Innovation Fashion | Düsseldorf fashion schools train new creative talents Center offer everything you need to bring your Düsseldorf’s strength is its ability to ideas to life – from rapid prototyping and small- embrace change early on – and put it batch production to industrial 3-D manufactur- ing. Companies can also find all the advisory to good use. Progress and innovation services needed for success here – including are integral parts of this city. financing partners, management consultants and advertising agencies. Incharge | Startup offers environmentally friendly urban logistics 12 Where business works – Incubator for innovation Where business works – Incubator for innovation 13 Material research | Visionary technologies made in Düsseldorf Düsseldorf is where agility, inge- Universities and companies We make it happen … Many The Office of Economic Devel- nuity and the startup spirit meet collaborate on digital innovations practical collaborations are only opment supports startups every market experience, expertise, capi- at the “Innovation hub for digital possible in Düsseldorf: a total of step of the way – from testing tal and a strong customer base. media solutions” (“Innovationshub 12 partners, including Vodafone, initial ideas, financing, finding für digitale Medienlösungen”) – a Siemens and Mobileye, worked locations and networking with This is a place where partners framework for generating ideas, with the State Capital of Düsseldorf established companies to entering meet to achieve shared business suc- developing and implementing con- on the pilot project for self-driving international markets. At the Inno- cess. Düsseldorf’s winning formula cepts, and bringing the resulting and networked vehicles – exploring vation Manager Meeting, for exam- is its closeness: newcomers from Ger- innovative solutions to the digital the future of mobility. Solutions ple, people can discuss solutions many and abroad are quickly accli- economy. Creative and technolog- for tomorrow’s logistics challenges to the issues involved in getting mated to their new location, meeting ical minds meet to explore new, are also being tested here: the a business running. A mentoring the right partners for their business ingenious opportunities for every- startup Incharge offers smart logis- program also brings experienced through extensive local networks. one involved. “Digitale Stadt Düs- tics concepts that bundle deliveries company representatives and seldorf e.V.” is a group of around of goods to reduce traffic and con- startups together. Digital Innovation Hub (Digihub) 300 members that also invites peo- gestion in inner cities. Düsseldorf/Rheinland is a match mak- ple to join in their regular network- er for medium-sized companies, start- ing meetings. ups, universities and corporations, with over 40 partners. It provides access to the world of startups, new trends and fresh ideas – helping established companies develop new digital business models, products and solutions. It promotes the sharing of IOX LAB | The first humanoid robot completely made by 3-D printer best practices in digital technologies and transformations, and organizes innovative events on transforming businesses and products for the new digital age. Evolve Mobility of the future | Testing grounds for self-driving and networked vehicles 02 Urban lifestyle 16 Where business works – Urban lifestyle Where business works – Urban lifestyle 17 Düsseldorf – one of top 6 cities world- wide with the highest quality of life. Once you arrive, you’ll feel right at home. Newcomers have an easy time getting set- tled in this welcoming, cosmopolitan city, where they can enjoy short commutes and the finer things in life. Jazz rally | Top acts and good