Vibrant, diverse and open-minded: Hamburg makes you eager to explore

Why Hamburg?

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.

Facts & figures on Hamburg
as a centre of innovation

All the location information you need to know about Hamburg as a business location and the port of Hamburg.

Maritime flair meets high quality of life

Hamburg is one of the cities with the highest quality of life in the world and continues to score high in rankings by e.g. Mercer and The Economist.

The port as a driver of innovation

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 2023: Hamburg takes 2nd place overall in the ranking of the Bitkom industry association (source: Smart City Index 2023)
  • 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

Paradox Museum

Paradox Museum opens in Hamburg

New museum offers edutainment at intersection of art, science and senses
Kreative Ideen für Hamburgs Innenstadt

Hamburg funding creative ideas for city centre

22 pioneering ideas selected - EUR 640,000 for creative pilot projects
Julius Schröder und Laura Karim von XIVR

Hamburg-based firms among "Creative and Cultural Pilots" 2024

German government honours 32 visionary companies - four Hamburg-based startups among winners

Hamburg International Music Festival to give musical glimpse of future

Tickets for festival now on sale (May 1 to June 5, 2025)

Live acts' value frequently underestimated

Hamburg Music celebrating 20th anniversary - Hamburg News talks to Alexander Schulz, CEO of Hamburg Music, about sector's importance

Firms across Hamburg to exhibit new artists’ works during Add Art 2024

Exhibitions underway from November 14-17, 2024
Glückliche Menschen am Hamburger Hafen

Hamburg "happiest" German state

Top marks for Hamburg in Happiness Atlas

Brisk Christmas season on stages across Hamburg

Theatre tickets among ten most popular Christmas gifts - Hamburg's theatres defying consumer gloom
Hamburger Kunsthalle

Visit 47 museums thanks to Hamburg's #seeforfree

Admission free on October 31, 2024 - all kinds of events and exhibitions across city
UITP Summit 2025

Hamburg unveils concept for UITP 2025

UITP and Team Hamburg present roadmap for international mobility summit (June 15-18)
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