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

New ideas wanted for more vibrant downtown Hamburg

EUR 50,000 for novel ideas for Altstadt, Neustadt and HafenCity
Tanzstadt Hamburg: Mann macht eleganten Ballett-Sprung

Hamburg to host Dance Triennial 2026

German government and city provide over EUR 1.5 million for new dance festival

Filmfest Hamburg's new director now pointing way

Film industry among key economic factors - Malika Rabahallah, Director of Filmfest, at helm

"Hamburg 2040" for OMR Festival

Chamber of Commerce presents future prize

Rymax One to make Hamburg leading quantum computing centre

EUR 17 million for new EU-funded "Hamburg Quantum Computing" project demonstrator

Homeport to bridge harbour and technology

Homecoming Homeport to mark third anniversary with prototype and technology festival
Ballons mit Wasserstoffzeichen

Hydrogen Week aims to generate enthusiasm for H2 technologies

From 15 to 23 June 2024, hydrogen-related events will take place across Germany - with HH-Energie-Bus-Tour in Hamburg
Container-Installation zur UEFA Euro 2024

Container installation for UEFA Euro 2024 honoured once again

A total of 43 prizes: The "Container Draw" production in the Port of Hamburg wins marketing and creative awards at the ADC 2024 competition to mark the start of the European Championships

Get new ideas during Food Innovation Camp 2024

Food start-ups and decision-makers in retail and hospitality sectors come together on June 17, 2024
Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg wirkt an Klimabilanz mit

Museums in Hamburg show positive carbon footprint

Emissions cut by 17 per cent thanks to "Eleven to Zero" - upcoming events
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