Business in Germany

Cologne - Economic Centre in Western Germany

Cologne is an academic and research centre

With over 1 million residents and as the fourth-largest city in Germany, Cologne has developed into one of the most important and oldest economic, trade and scientific centres in Central Europe. Germany's largest university and university of applied science are both located here, with around 44,300 and 16,500 students respectively. In addition, there are numerous other universities such as the Academy of Media Arts and the German Sport University Cologne. Public research institutions such as the DLR, Deutsche Zentrum für Luft- Und Raumfahrt e.V. (German Aerospace Centre) add to this broad spectrum of science and research in the region. Cologne is also the most important region in Germany in the fields of biotechnology and gene technology. Eight companies on the Dax30 list call the Cologne region their "home". Cologne is internationally renowned for its research activities in the fields of biotechnology and gene technology. The Institute for Genetics of the University of Cologne, founded in 1958 by Max Delbrück, who later won the Nobel Prize for Medicine, has gained international recognition. Meanwhile, Cologne is also the most important national centre for the Life Sciences Excellence Cluster project. The "Bioriver" Rhine meanders through the main region for biotechnology in North Rhine-Westphalia and connects the three biotech strongholds of Cologne, Bonn and Düssel-dorf. The global players of the biotech industry-Henkel, Bayer, Schwarz Pharma-are all located here, as well as young up-and-coming biotech companies. The MPIZ is among the leading research institutes in the field of molecular plant biology. The German Aerospace Centre (DLR), which has also gained international recognition, has its headquarters in Cologne. For over 100 years since it was founded in 1907, it has been the German centre for research into aerospace, energy and transport. The activities of the DLR cover a broad spectrum: environmentally-friendly technologies, the search for life in the universe, new solutions for communication and security, as well as exploration of the solar system.

Cologne is a business and media hub

From industry to services: After years of structural change, Cologne is now the most important city in Germany as regards the media. Eleven television broadcasters and as many radio shows transmit from the city, including the market leader, the private TV station RTL, the largest public radio broadcaster, WDR (Westdeutsche Rundfunk), and Deutschlandfunk (radio). Radio and TV made in Cologne. More than 50,000 people have salaried occupations or work freelance in the Cologne media industry. A third of Germany's national TV productions are made in Cologne. The record labels and recording studios in Cologne set the tone for the rest of the music industry. Festivals such as c/o pop are legendary. The famous Philharmonic Orchestra, the opera, concert halls and music clubs attract-ing the giants of the music industry to Cologne. The strong service industry traditionally makes Co-logne a good business location. Almost 80% of all those employed in the city work in the service sec-tor. Cologne is also one of Germany's most important centres for the insurance industry, as AXA, DKV, DEVK, Gothaer, Roland, Talanx and Züricher Krankenversicherung all have their head offices here. Approximately 10% of those employed in Cologne work in banks or insurance. Sal. Oppenheim jr. & Cie, Europe's largest private bank, has its head office in Cologne. The regional Sparkasse KölnBonn is the largest municipal savings bank in Germany. Innovative information technology firms can also be found in Cologne. In 2008, the new Microsoft regional office for North Rhine-Westphalia moved to the Rheinau Docks in Cologne. As a business location, Cologne is situated in the centre of the most densely populated and well-funded region in Europe. Many international business groups, such as REWE, Kaufhof and Lekkerland, direct their business from the cathedral city. Large DAX companies such as Lufthansa and Bayer, also have offices located here. The chemical industry and vehicle construction form the core of Cologne's industrial region. There are more than 23,000 people working in over 70 companies, meaning that the chemical industry provides 1 in 5 industrial jobs in the region. Total revenue for 2007: over EUR 17 billion. As a result, Cologne is one of Europe's leading chemical-manufacturing regions.

Cologne: Trade fairs and events

In no other city is the convention centre so close to ICE connections, the main train station and the city centre as in Cologne.  The Cologne Exhibition Centre has the fifth-largest trade fair and exhibition grounds in the world: 284,000 m² of indoor space and more than 100,000 m² of outdoor space provides sufficient room for trade fairs and events. The eleven connected halls host around 50 exhibitions and international trade fairs every year. Anuga, imm cologne, photokina and ISM have all held successful events at Cologne Exhibition Centre. No long train journeys, no traffic jams, just a 10-minute walk from the Cologne Exhibition Centre to the city centre. Whilst walking over the bridge, take time to enjoy the breathtaking panoramic view of the Rhine. The Exhibition Centre's ideal transport connections-with the Köln Messe/Deutz ICE train station right on the doorstep and the Köln-Bonn international airport just minutes away-and its close proximity to Cologne city centre are part of a well-thought-out municipal infrastructure network. Cologne is centrally located in Europe and provides good connections to major German and European transport networks. Most of the event venues in Cologne can be reached quickly due to their central position - almost 50% are situated within 2 km of the cathedral and the main train station. The old town, numerous museums, the opera, many theatres, the philharmonic orchestra, the Rheinpark, the MediaPark and shopping precincts can all be reached on foot. Every year, almost 115 million people make day trips to Cologne, over two million of whom are trade fair visitors, and 4.3 million stay overnight. Cologne has approximately 250 hotels with nearly 25,000 beds.