Stadt Leipzig Dezernat Wirtschaft und Arbeit LEIPZIG Business development MEANS BUSINESS 2015 1,000 years of Leipzig 25 years of German unity 850 years of Leipzig Fairs 600 years of teaching medicine 10 years of BMW in Leipzig Leipzig Means Business 2015 1 2 4 8 14 Prefaces Leipzig: Upgraded Five convincing A growing city infrastructure clusters 5 Continuing constant growth 9 Upgraded transport: 15 Five clusters ripe 6 Momentum of a Highways for investors for further development high-growth region 10 Leipzig/Halle Airport: 16 Automotive & Suppliers 7 In constant touch with Freight traffic soars 20 Healthcare & Biotech the world 11 Modern transport structures 24 Energy & Environment unite city and region 28 Logistics 12 City-centre tunnel: 32 Media & Creative Industries Infrastructure for the 36 Industry: Record turnover metropolitan region 37 Skilled trades: Upbeat 13 Substantial rail investment 38 Leipziger Messe 40 Service sector: Wide-ranging support for the economy 41 Retail: Brisk trade 42 International cuisine: A mouth-watering choice 43 Destination Leipzig: Another record year 44 Construction: Stable prospects 45 Agriculture in the city 46 72 82 92 Assistance Leipzig’s Higher education Statistics for business millennium and research 47 Service provider for business 73 The arts in Leipzig: 83 Exceptional higher education 92 1. Population 48 Partner for businesses Classical values, modern and research 2. The labour market of all sizes quality 93 3. Education and training 49 Corporate investments 76 Living in Leipzig: 94 4. Private sector and expansion Atmosphere, diversity, quality 98 5. Finance 50 Leipzig 2020: 77 Feel-good Leipzig: 99 6. Public procurement Economic strength set to grow Big and green in Leipzig in 2014 51 Technology transfer: 78 Sporting Leipzig: 100 7. Major investments in Leipzig Innovation for SMEs Top of the league 52 Support programme for 79 A pro-family attitude: competitive jobs Vital for the economy 102 Contact 54 Marketing managers: 80 Future-proof education: Showcasing Leipzig International, intercultural 55 Business contacts 81 Tomorrow’s skilled workers all over the world 56 Good neighbours: Firm partners 57 Qualified skilled labour for the region’s future 58 Europe: Central location, central concern 60 Financial backing for a powerful regional economy 62 Public procurement: Clear criteria 63 Municipal construction contracts: Extensive procurement 64 Dialogue in the start-up scene: Roads to success 65 Leipzig’s property market on the rise 66 Northern Zone Concept Leipzig 2025+ 67 LGH: Attractive premises for business 68 The Property Office: Assets for strategic projects 70 The old exhibition centre: Great heritage, great prospects 71 Lindenau Harbour: A new waterside district The people of this city have more than half a million clear reasons to celebrate Leipzig’s millennium throughout 2015 with their friends and business partners around the world, not to mention the countless visitors. The festivities are being held under the motto: ‘1,000 Years of Leipzig – We are the city’. Leipzig: Well poised for Industry 4.0 The prospect of Industry 4.0 – the merger of information was all but inconceivable. And they keep returning to its technologies and production processes to create smart pioneering spirit and this unique combination of different factories – is mesmerizing. The challenge of creating a yet significant locational advantages. new manufacturing standard in the twenty-first century Anyone wishing to grow a company in Leipzig will find a without losing sight of environmental challenges is huge. conducive environment here. Anyone wishing to engage Leipzig ambitiously and confidently rises to new in successful development will encounter promising challenges and performance indicators at the intersection opportunities for collaboration, and those planning of education, research, development and production. to relocate here can look forward to a favourable In the twenty-five tireless years since the Peaceful atmosphere and the right resources. Revolution, here in the city of its origin, and since Leipzig has an ambitious future. Every partner who regaining German unity, strategic decisions have been wishes to participate in this forthcoming development taken. Never before have so many different challenges will benefit from it. And in turn, Leipzig will benefit been tackled simultaneously. Complex tasks have had from each new partner. This is probably the most to be dealt with in the economy, the social sphere, the important lesson of the cosmopolitan, business-friendly, environment and urban development. inspirational, joyful, and now millennial city of Leipzig. Leipzig 4.0 fronts forward-looking economic development – with the potential of proven skilled workers, on the basis of innovation, in sunrise industries, and in cooperation between medium-sized businesses, large companies, and global corporations such as BMW, Porsche, DHL and Siemens. Leipzig increasingly scores with its combination of essential attributes: as a city of commerce, a city of trade shows, a city of the arts and education, and – of course – an emancipated city. This place where concentrated value is forged is also a place where quality can be enjoyed in a relaxed atmosphere. This ideal blend is probably the main reason why every year well over 10,000 people choose to move to Leipzig. Those who like historical analogies will have to look back over a century in Leipzig’s history to find a similarly marvelled phase of dynamic growth. Many observers of Leipzig, currently the fastest growing German city, are trying to Burkhard Jung fathom the secret of this success, which a decade ago Mayor of the City of Leipzig 2 Leipzig Means Business 2015 Twenty-five years of the social market economy in Leipzig also means that a wealth of experience has been acquired regarding economic development. The focused, tried-and-tested instruments which have been developed benefit both local businesses and firms on the lookout for a new location. Growing business in a growing city Want to see the birthplace of a powerful, cutting- more inhabitants last year speak for themselves. edge electric sports car? Perhaps the world’s largest Moreover, Leipzig’s cluster strategy in operation for years commercial freighter aircraft close up at its base? Or how continues to bear fruit. Collaboration between industry about studying an economic centre which is successfully and science is deepening and embracing more and more reinventing itself? If so, you have two choice: you can areas. Because the economic structure largely consists either travel around the world – or visit Leipzig! This city, of small businesses, particular importance is attached the people living here and their ideas have repeatedly to networking. Accordingly, the Office for Economic managed to inspire trade and industry, to produce Development supports numerous collaborations innovations sold on markets all over the world, and to spawning innovation and jobs. encourage imitators. Leipzig is an economic powerhouse which is ideal for It was 850 years ago that the Leipzig Fair began to embarking on new entrepreneurial ventures. All the energize trade and change from this privileged location. basic facts and figures you need are contained in this The samples fair developed in Leipzig 120 years ago was edition of Leipzig Means Business. the prototype for globally successful events in the new era of industrial mass production. And 25 years ago, this city teamed up with regional and national players to tackle the market forces unleashed by complete structural transformation. Who would have thought that at the beginning of the twenty-first century, Leipzig would join Wolfsburg, Munich and Stuttgart to complete Germany’s quartet of leading automotive industry locations? Yet that is exactly what happened. And at the celebrations marking the tenth anniversary of production at BMW’s Leipzig plant in March 2015, all the speakers were full of praise for the dedication and ability shown by its employees as they mastered the challenging production of brand new models for the entire group with flying colours and smoothly took new technologies – electric vehicles – to volume production. Other investors also benefit from the locational advantage of Leipzig’s qualified, highly motivated employees. Leipzig is building on a growing economy in a growing Uwe Albrecht city. Figures like the some 10,000 new jobs and 13,000 Deputy Mayor of Economic Affairs and Employment Leipzig Means Business 2015 3 After the weekly demonstrations in autumn 1989 had ushered in a Peaceful Revolution of global magnitude, totally new prospects emerged for the traditional commercial city of Leipzig. The potential unleashed by the free market, the complete structural transformation, the return of medium-sized businesses, and the arrival of high-tech blue-chips with production plants supplying the world market (not to mention their stimulus for the economy as a whole) confirm that Leipzig made full use of this golden opportunity to substantially improve its competitive standing. 25 years of German unity: A golden opportunity Leipzig: A growing city Leipzig: A young city turns 1,000! In 2015, Leipzig celebrated the Population up by 12,717 in 2014 millennium of its first appearance Leipzig has maintained its rate of growth achieved in from Leipzig rated it as a modern, up-and-coming city. in recorded history with about recent years. By the end of 2014, Leipzig had a population A total of 1,500 interviewees from fifteen German cities