Working and living in Hannover

© HMTG / Christian Wyrwa

Go for a stroll in the nearby fields and meadows, take the dog for a walk by the lake, look after your horse at the stables – then arrive at the office in the city on time for work at 9 a.m. This is how professionals, students and trainees in the Hannover region can start their working day. City and countryside, tradition and modernity, work and leisure: Hannover combines aspects of life which are considered incompatible in other places. 

“Anyone in search of a work-life balance will feel right at home in the Hannover region,” says Hans Christian Nolte, Managing Director of Hannover Marketing und Tourismus GmbH (HMTG). “Not only can people study, work and start businesses here, it’s also a place where life can be enjoyed.”

© HMTG

This is even being shown in repeated studies: in a survey carried out by the City of Hannover, nine out of ten inhabitants rated their place of residence as “good” or “very good”. The local public transport as well as the numerous parks and green spaces were key reasons for this. According to Europe-wide rankings published in the investment magazine fDi, Lower Saxony’s state capital is one of the most liveable cities in Europe.

Not only did the study give the city on the Leine top marks in terms of quality of life, it also credited it with high economic and skilled labour potential. “There are countless career opportunities for skilled workers in the Hannover region,” says Volker Schmidt, Managing Director of industry association NiedersachsenMetall. Between 2010 and 2018, the companies in the catchment area of the Hannover Chamber of Industry and Commerce created 150,000 jobs in the region.

© HMTG

And it’s not just manufacturing, insurance and financial services behind the region’s high GVA: researchers of various disciplines also play an important role. For example, Kind Hörgeräte and Sennheiser are innovation drivers in the field of audio technology. The federal and state governments have recently started supporting four clusters of excellence of Leibniz University and the Hannover Medical School. As well as hearing, academics here conduct research into infectious diseases, optical devices and measurement technologies.

Hannover and the surrounding area are home to many companies from a range of sectors which are boosting the region’s global reputation. “Our central location and optimal transport infrastructure attract companies of all sizes,” says Schmidt. In the automotive industry, technology leaders such as Volkswagen and Continental have bases in the region. Meanwhile, Bahlsen and Rossmann are examples of famous retail brands based in Hannover. On top of that, large insurance companies such as Concordia, VHV and HDI as well as financial service provider Swiss Life have headquarters in Hannover.

© Deutsche Messe AG

Hannover has the world’s largest exhibition grounds: as well as Hannover Messe, the world’s leading industrial trade fair, Hannover also hosts leading mobility and logistics trade fair IAA Nutzfahrzeuge as well as Agritechnica, the world’s largest fair for agricultural technology. Summer sees the arrival of IdeenExpo, Europe’s only interactive trade fair for inquisitive youngsters. Then in autumn, the first-ever conference on the mobile communications standard 5G will be held at the exhibition grounds.

“Since Expo 2000, more and more conferences and international events are being held in Hannover thanks to the region’s exceptionally good infrastructure,” says Nolte.

The local public transport allows Hanoverians to choose various types of housing. It is just as feasible to live in a house with a garden in one of the towns and municipalities in the Hannover region as it is to have an apartment in the city, and in both situations, work and nature are easy to reach. “No matter which part of the city you live in, leisure opportunities are never far away,” observes Nolte.

© Hans F. Meier – Steinhuder Bilderladen

In the heart of Hannover, there is a municipal forest spanning over 600 hectares. This helps make the city one of the greenest in Germany. In addition, Lake Maschsee is an ideal place for a spot of swimming or sailing after the working day is over. Water sports at Steinhuder Meer, horse riding in the Burgdorf region and hiking in the Deister mountains – all of this is no more than 30 minutes away.

The proximity between urban and rural spaces provides residents of Hannover with a wide range of opportunities to harmonise career, leisure and family for an ideal work-life balance.