Metropolregion Rhein-Neckar

A series of internationally leading major groups (BASF SE, SAP AG, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, Fuchs Petrolub AG, Bilfinger Berger AG, Freudenberg & Co. KG), as well as a broad range of renowned, traditional small to medium-sized companies (Maxxtec AG, Sternjakob GmbH & Co. KG, C. Josef Lamy GmbH, Weldebräu GmbH & Co. KG) and innovative new start-ups (Cytonet GmbH & Co. KG, Sygnis Pharma AG, B.R.A.I.N. AG), make the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region one of Germany's most significant business locations. Seven of the country's top one hundred production companies (by turnover) have their headquarters in the region, namely BASF SE, Phoenix AG, Heidelberg Cement AG, SAP AG, Bilfinger Berger SE, Südzucker AG, Freudenberg & Co. KG (source: SZ issue no. 198, 28.8.2010). BASF SE, SAP und Heidelberg Cement AG alone account for more than 13% of the DAX-30 market capitalisation. Since 2003, the 10 metropolitan region-based companies listed in the Rhine-Neckar index have recorded a more consistent development than the DAX.

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Due to its location in the centre of Europe and an excellent infrastructure, the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region is ideally accessible – by road, rail and waterway. Private motorists and freight traffic benefit from convenient links with the national motorway network, with the A5/A67 and A61/A65 motorways serving as the north-south axes and the A6 as an east-west axis, as well as the corresponding main roads. Mannheim Central Station, the second-largest ICE terminal in Germany, has around 238 long-distance departures daily, providing ideal connections to the national and European high-speed rail network. Other stations serving long-distance routes include Heidelberg, Ludwigshafen, Neustadt and Worms. Frankfurt's international Rhein-Main airport can be reached by rail in 31 minutes, the European metropolis Paris is only 3 hours and 30 minutes away, while the extensive suburban rail network provides perfect connections within the region. Mannheim's marshalling yard, the second largest of its kind in Germany, and the Mannheim/Ludwigshafen Port Centre, Europe’s second-largest inland port, are central transportation hubs in the European freight traffic network.

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The gross domestic product is around EUR 1,300 higher than the German average of about EUR 31,700 per capita. More than 790,000 employees at over 134,000 companies generate a gross value added of 67.2 billion euros (data from 2008). As well as service companies, the production sector plays an important role.

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The MRN is home to more than 170 nationalities. The proportion of foreigners in the population is 12%. About the same percentage of students at the region's institutes of further education come from countries all around the world, thus contributing to the cosmopolitan nature of the MRN.

Capacities and areas of authority are interlinked and handled with a distinctive value orientation in the MRN, enabling it to play a leading role on the international stage as well. Both listed major enterprises and small to medium-sized businesses find ideal conditions here to achieve this: Customer-oriented public administration, a perfect infrastructure and close proximity to internationally renowned research establishments.

Proof of the international orientation and competitiveness of the regional economy is the fact that about 57% of the goods produced in the region are exported. Internationally respected universities and research establishments characterise the cosmopolitan character of the region to the same extent as the multitude of cultural facilities.

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Anybody looking to settle in the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region will find not only strong business partners here, but also a superlative scientific environment. Global groups as well as small to medium-sized companies benefit from an excellent higher education and research landscape with regards to both quantity and quality. Very few other regions have MRN’s longstanding tradition of striving for scientific knowledge. The University of Heidelberg, founded in 1386, is the oldest in Germany. Today, around 83,000 students are enrolled at the region's 21 institutes of further education. 15 Nobel Laureates have a close connection with the region. National and international rankings bear testimony to the excellent standards of the region's academic establishments. In the MRN, the number of people employed in the field of research is more than double the German average.

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In the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region you will find a customer-friendly and efficient public administration system which is oriented not to jurisdictional boundaries, but to the real-life circumstances of the region's companies and population. The regional model plan "Co-operative e-government in federal structures", which acts as a framework for expediting the interlinking of administrative authorities both among themselves a well as with the region's companies, demonstrates the importance accorded to this area. The long-term objective is to cut the costs of the administrative apparatus by 25%. This goal is so ambitious that the MRN was assigned a nationwide forerunner role by the German federation.

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The Rhine-Neckar region has everything to offer which makes life so diverse and worth living. From historical places of interest, including three world cultural heritage sites, around 200 fortresses, cathedrals and castles, through to local recreation in three nature parks with a wooded area covering more than 210,000 hectares. A varied regional cuisine, high-class catering and prize-winning vintages from four wine-growing areas make gourmets' hearts beat faster. 15 international leading festivals, over 80 theatres, cabarets and other stage venues, together with more than 200 museums, provide for cultural delights to satisfy every taste. Top-class sporting arenas hosting German league football, handball and ice hockey, as well as superlative popular sport facilities, present leisure opportunities of the highest quality. The region is also a leader where security and service are concerned. According to crime statistics, the region is one of the safest areas in Germany. It also boasts an above-average medical care system, excellent residential possibilities and shopping facilities, as well as a broad range of opportunities for assuring the compatibility of work and family.

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Regional co-operation in the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region has been a tradition for decades. The "Rhine-Neckar Working Group" was established at municipal level as long ago as the beginning of the 1950s, laying the foundation for the collective planning of issues of common concern such as transport, infrastructure, care, settlement and culture. In 1969, cross-border co-operation on the Rhine and Neckar was officially sealed with the signing of the First State Treaty by the three federal states of Baden-Württemberg, Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate. This ever closer solidarity between the business, science, political and administration sectors was institutionalised in 2006 with a public-private partnership model, the first of its kind in Germany. Based on the Second State Treaty adopted by the federal states on July 26, 2005, this model significantly extended the regional authorities' scope for planning and action as well as their areas of responsibility. Since then, the Rhine-Neckar Regional Association, Zukunft Metropolregion Rhein-Neckar e.V. and Metropolregion Rhein-Neckar GmbH, together with a host of intraregional networks and partners, have been working to achieve a common objective: To become known and acknowledged as one of Europe's most attractive and competitive regions.

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Are you searching for a suitable site for your company, a venue for a specialised congress or even a location for a film in the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region? As part of its economic support, the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region provides companies in search of business partners and co-operation opportunities with the relevant information quickly and with the minimum of bureaucracy. Competent advisers are standing by, regardless of whether you are looking for a suitable commercial property, or if you have any queries about the location or need assistance in getting in touch with public authorities. Just give us a call!

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Particular attention is paid in the region to providing systematic support for the decision-makers and innovators of the future. Enterprising personalities, i.e. the specialists and executives of the future, must be ideally trained, supported and integrated into networks at an early stage so that they themselves can grow into the role of those who are able to make their mark on an innovative culture. It is these people who form the basis for new developments and high-quality products which quickly become marketable and generate profits.

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