ich bin ein berliner.
Berlin is a production location with a promising future. Today, after the major structural transformation of the 1990s, the city is characterized by a high level of innovation that makes it an ideal industrial location for the new century. The capital region’s tremendous innovative strength is based on a typical Berlin mixture of future technologies and modernizing traditional industries as well as on close collaboration among manufacturing companies and prominent local research institutes. Business conditions that guarantee success have already attracted established names, such as Siemens, Storck, Gillette and Schindler, and other multinational corporations, including Coca- Cola, BASF, ThyssenKrupp and Motorola, to the capital. In the manufacturing industry, Berlin is characterized by four core sectors: in addition to the chemical industry, the field of metal, machine and automotive engineering and the food industry, the electronics industry is one of the strongest sectors in the field. It employs almost one-third of Berlin’s industrial workforce. The capital’s core sectors are also notable due to their innovative areas of focus which arise from their close contact to representatives of key high-tech industries, including life sciences, clean technologies and mobility.
The chemical and plastics industry, in particular, is one of the most research-intensive industries in the capital region, boasting innovative new developments in the fields of modern composite materials, new polymer and ceramic materials and plastics recycling. Berlin-Brandenburg also offers outstanding conditions for the food industry. Berlin and its environs act as an ideal test market for new products. And the proximity to Eastern European markets increases the sales prospects for Berlin-based manufacturers such as Schultheiss, Stollwerck, Bahlsen and Fassbender & Rausch. Berlin is also a center for high-tech manufacturing: micro and nanotechnology are among the city’s key technologies. Furthermore, the capital region is one of the most important locations in Germany for optical technologies. Berlin’s information and communications industry also profits from the city’s outstanding infrastructure and its central location in the heart of Europe. This is demonstrated by the city’s lively start-up scene, but also by the presence of prominent global players such as Deutsche Telekom, IBM and Sony, all of whom value the city tremendously as one of the most in-demand locations for modern industry.
