Energetic, open-minded and future-oriented: Hamburg makes you eager to explore
© Mediaserver Hamburg/Christian Brandes
Thanks to its mix of economic potential and high quality of life, Hamburg is the economic heart of Northern Europe. People and companies from all over the world settle here. Whether startups, industrial players or service providers: businesses feel at home in Hamburg. Below you can find location information on Hamburg and its surroundings.
Location information: Hamburg as a centre of innovation
- fDi Magazine: Most attractive region for international investors in Germany (source: European Cities and Regions of the Future report 2023)
- Home to 120,000 higher education students, 15,000 scientists, and almost 10,000 IT companies (sources: Statista.com, Hamburg Chamber of Commerce)
- More than 20 higher education institutions and one University of Excellence as drivers of innovation
- Home to a creative startup community
- Smart City Index 2024: Hamburg takes 2nd place overall in the ranking of the Bitkom industry association (source: Smart City Index 2024)
- A network of innovation parks with different focal points
- At the location: DESY, XFEL, Fraunhofer IAPT, ZAL, DLR, CFK Valley
- Nine cluster initiatives - from aviation to renewable energies, media and life sciences
Why the future is at home here
In Hamburg, we love researching and experimenting, and thanks to this passion we've invented handy products such as the chip card, adhesive plaster and the satnav. And we are building our future on this traidition. Today, as the second largest city in one of the world's largest economies, Hamburg is a driver of innovation and an urban test lab for forward-looking projects. What is more, Hamburg is considered to be one of the world's most promising cities of the future.
As a particularly green city and featuring Germany's largest seaport, Hamburg is a logistics hub and the economic heart of Northern Europe, and, thanks to the Fehmarnbelt link, will soon be even more closely linked to its Scandinavian neighbours. We - that's 5.4 million residents in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region.
Smart and innovative
An international leader e.g. in media, life sciences and wind energy, Hamburg is the third largest aviation centre in the world. Once again named Germany's Smart City by Bitkom, Germany's digital association, we are a hotspot for innovative technologies. Deep tech, such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, IoT and robotics, is good for us if it benefits people. In Hamburg, companies are developing intelligent solutions for climate change, and innovative startups are pulling all-nighters in hackathons to remove viruses using UV light.
Our USPs are the port as a centre of transformation and disruptive technologies. We are building on our centuries-long tradition as a port and industrial location, while constantly reinventing ourselves - because only those who adapt will thrive. This is what the Smart Port stands for, with intelligent logistics, drones, and test tracks for self-driving buses. Our plan is to turn the port into the centre of a sustainable and green hydrogen economy in Europe. Today, more and more industries have recognised the signs of the times and are committed to green hydrogen. To this end, we are utilising the potential of wind power in Northern Germany.
Happy in Hamburg
Passionate entrepreneurs, excellent science, strong economic clusters and innovative founders are our biggest drivers. Above all, it is the people, the places, the high quality of life and the wealth of opportunities that attract more and more investors, students and skilled professionals to Hamburg and the region between the North and Baltic Seas. So it almost goes withouth saying that Hamburg's residents are the happiest city dwellers in Germany
News from Hamburg's business community
Raising Hamburg's global image as a music hotspot
Look forward to highlights of Reeperbahn Festival 2025
Cruise Days and Seatrade Europe fair to get underway
Tap into Canadian market with Hamburg Music
Tourism rises in first half of 2025
More funds for Hamburg's art house cinemas
Don't miss this summer's cultural events in Hamburg
