Made in Hannover - Global Players

Focussing on innovation

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As an economic region, Hannover is firmly rooted in a wellestablished but forward-looking environment with a broad range of business sectors. The city is a premium industrial location, service centre and trade hub and also enjoys an international reputation as a trade fair and conference venue. The efficient and interdisciplinary transfer of knowledge between business enterprises and renowned research and development institutes is a reliable factor for encouraging innovation and business start-ups.

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In terms of spending power, turnover and central situation, the region is one of the most successful retail trade locations in Germany. Other salient features of the economic metropolis of Hannover are its central geographical location, optimum transport infrastructure and effective economic development schemes. Highly diverse educational institutions, excellent leisure amenities and numerous greenbelt recreation areas all add up to an impressive regional profile.

Global players on the banks of the River Leine

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Well-known brands ensure that the economic region of Hannover is represented all over the globe: companies such as Bahlsen, BREE, KIND Hearing Aids, Komatsu-Hanomag, MTU Maintenance, Rossmann, Sennheiser electronic, Solvay Deutschland and TUI all have their headquarters here. The automobile industry – including technology pioneers such as Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Continental, Johnson Controls or WABCO – plays a particularly important role. Major insurance companies, for example, Concordia, VGH and VHV, as well as the Talanx Group with its Hannover Re and HDI-Gerling brands, have their head offices here in Hannover, as does financial services provider Swiss Life.

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The iconic architecture of the head office of Nord/LB features prominently on the city skyline. Nord/LB and Sparkasse Hannover are two of the leading banks in North Germany. The media sector is represented by major players such as the publishing companies Madsack and Schlütersche Verlagsgesellschaft and television producer TVN. And the numerous multimedia operations of the Heise Group are also controlled from the state capital. In addition to the two major German TV channels ARD and ZDF, various private radio and television companies also broadcast from Hannover, for instance radio ffn, Antenne Niedersachsen, RADIO 21 and CHANNEL 21, a teleshopping channel.

Structured for success

When it comes to economic development, Hannover banks on continuous cooperation between local business enterprises and scientific centres. This has led to many regional centres of excellence which enjoy strategic support from the regional business development company hannoverimpuls.

The focus is on the six sectors which have been identified as having particularly sustainable growth potential, namely automotive, energy solutions, information and communications technology, life sciences, the creative economy and production engineering. Many areas profit from additional cross-sectoral synergies and interfaces. More and more startups are exploiting these benefits and have helped to enhance Hannover’s profile as a business location. The metropolitan region Hannover Braunschweig Göttingen Wolfsburg plays a central role in promoting the development and consolidation of the scientific, economic and cultural networks.