About the Stuttgart Region

The Stuttgart Region – Where Growth meets Innovation

Situated at the heart of the Federal State of Baden-Württemberg in the southwest of Germany, the Stuttgart Region comprises the City of Stuttgart and its five surrounding counties. With a population of 2.7 million, the region boasts a highly advanced industrial infrastructure and enjoys a well-earned reputation for its economic strength, cutting-edge technology, and exceptionally high quality of life.

The Stuttgart Region is one of the leading economic areas in Europe. The world or German headquarters of global players such as Daimler, Porsche, Bosch, IBM or Hewlett-Packard are based here. However, what characterizes the Stuttgart Region best is its well-balanced mix of global brands and extremely innovative, medium-sized companies. Both are highly export-oriented: in fact, the region’s manufacturing companies constantly generate more than half of their sales abroad.

The Stuttgart Region is home to a large number of general and electrical engineering companies – Trumpf (machine tools, laser technology), Kärcher (high-pressure cleaners), Festo (pneumatic and electrical automation technology), Mahle (automotive components), Stihl (chain saws) to name just a few. Many of them are world leaders in their specialized market segments. Moreover, the region also takes pride in its publishing and media industries – both having a long tradition and a bright outlook for the future. The region systematically develops its strengths and potential, as can be seen from the example of the aerospace industry, and stands at the top of the European league table regarding emerging industries such as clean energy, fuel cell, nano- and biotechnology.

The Stuttgart Region has a first-class research infrastructure with many leading universities and institutes developing cutting-edge technologies. The companies in the region invest more on research and development than anywhere else in Europe, accounting for almost 20 percent of corporate R&D expenditures in Germany. With the highest percentage of employees working in high-tech industries (23.5%, Eurostat 2007), the Stuttgart Region is Europe’s leading high-tech area.

 

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