Dr. Simon Kempf, Managing Director & Co-Founder DLE Group 

1. Describe your company in a tweet.   

DLE Land Development GmbH is a global investment consultant for real estate funds. Through customized solutions, we design projects in Germany taking into account urban development, landscape planning, ecological and social criteria. #real estate development #sustainability #DLE


2. Why are you involved as a Berlin-Partner? 

At DLE, we are firmly rooted in Berlin and believe in the capital's strength, unique diversity and creative and innovative potential. It is precisely these special features of the metropolis that Berlin-Partner brings to the outside world, focusing on networking and synergies. We support this and are delighted to be a part of it. 


3. What issues drive you in relation to your industry?  

Our daily work is motivated by making a significant contribution to the realization of urgently needed residential and commercial space. This includes, for example, the creation of building rights for previously unused large areas. Affordability and sustainability are at the heart of the neighborhoods we develop. We strive to identify the needs of current and future residents at an early stage and integrate them into our planning in order to improve the quality of life of as many people as possible. In addition, we advocate a more innovative spirit and courage in urban and project-related development, which is in line with our motto "RethinkRealEstate"

4. What makes Berlin special for you?  

For me, Berlin is the most exciting metropolis in Europe. Nine times the size of Paris, it offers an incredible amount of space for new things. Everyone can find their own neighborhood in Berlin, whether surrounded by forest, right on the water, urban, ultra-modern or historically significant. The city breathes so much history, East and West have been reunited and reconnected here, and yet you can still see this scar in many places. The numerous brownfield sites still offer great opportunities for new projects, even entire new districts. What other capital city has that to offer?

5. Why is Berlin attractive for your company?  

Berlin is cosmopolitan, has excellent universities and the cost of living is still moderate compared to major European cities such as London and Paris. Many highly qualified people from all over the world settle here, creating a great pool of potential employees. As the geographical heart of Europe, Berlin offers a good infrastructure and excellent networking with the rest of the world. The available space potential in Berlin and the surrounding area is unique in the world. Unlike in London, New York, Rome or Paris, several large-scale district developments can still be realized in the Berlin metropolitan region, for example on former commercial sites. Thanks to our expertise along the entire real estate value chain, particularly in the creation of building rights, we are able to play a key role in shaping urban developments here.

6. What does Berlin stand for to you?

Diversity, creativity, vastness, liveliness, openness, internationality, culture, down-to-earthness and potential - a beautiful place to live and work - that's what Berlin is for me.

7. How does your company implement the topic of sustainability?

For us, sustainability is more than just the current assumption of ecological and social responsibility. It also means ensuring that the neighborhoods we develop are functional in the long term. It is particularly important to us that our developments continue to meet the needs of residents in the coming decades while remaining ecologically and socially compatible. This long-term view of the viability of our neighborhoods is an integral part of our sustainable corporate philosophy.

In this context, ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) criteria play a decisive role in our investment decisions and the subsequent acquisition of building rights, whereby we rely on a certified scorecard system.

Within the DLE Group, we have established various initiatives for our social and environmental commitment. One example of this is our sustainability initiative, which focuses on the "Planet Tree" reforestation project, in which hundreds of trees are planted in a city forest every year. We also support various social and cultural initiatives in Berlin and the surrounding region.

As far as mobility is concerned, I personally prefer the train to the plane and use a cargo bike almost every day instead of a car to get to work in an environmentally friendly way.