[TranAnnual report Berlin Partner for Business and Technology

5,500 new jobs and 369 million euros worth of investments for Berlin

In 2013, the business promoters of Berlin Partner for Business and Technology have been again successful in supporting companies who invest in the capital. Berlin Partner supervised a total of 258 projects which will generate 5,506 new jobs at an investment volume of 369 million euros in the next three years. This is 200 jobs more than in the previous year and an increase in investment of 90 million euros. This positive record was presented today by Senator for Economics Cornelia Yzer and Berlin Partner’s Managing Director Melanie Bähr at a press conference.

Cornelia Yzer, Senator for Economics, Technology and Research: “With an internationally acclaimed startup scene and a first-class research and technology landscape, Berlin has an invaluable competitive advantage over many other cities and regions in Germany. More than 250 locating and expansion projects represent the attractiveness of our capital as a location for technology-driven industrial enterprises and innovative service companies. Berlin Partner for Business and Technology, which merged last year, has provided significant support for these projects. It makes tailor-made proposals to national and international investors – from the elaboration of the first idea to a successful expansion. This year’s economic agenda is determined by networking between Berlin’s startup scene and established companies, intensified contact with non-resident companies regarding Berlin’s locational advantages as well as developing innovation capital for our companies. Berlin Partner for Business and Technology will actively support this agenda.”

“We were able to provide particularly strong support for two strategic fields of innovation of Berlin’s economy in locating and expanding in Berlin: for these companies, we supervised projects which created over 3,500 jobs on their own. If we manage to make a stronger connection between Berlin’s two cutting-edge fields, we will create more high-tech jobs with long-term perspective”, said Melanie Bähr, Managing Director of Berlin Partner for Business and Technology.

Assisting companies in their application for state, federal and EU funds is a fundamental service within economic development projects. It was possible to specifically implement growth projects in Berlin in close cooperation with the Investitionsbank Berlin. The external funds added up to around 80 million euros in 2013. In particular Berlin’s Showcase for Electromobility was able to acquire a major part of these funds.

Apart from economic accomplishments, it was possible to successfully complete the merger between Berlin Partner GmbH and TSB Innovationsagentur GmbH in 2013. The new Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie GmbH is now able to consult and support companies and investors even more efficiently. The central and cross-sector points of contact ideally fulfill the needs of Berlin’s companies and international investors and coordinate networks in science, economy, funding institutions and politics – for example at the the growth cluster management of the capital region. In this respect, the new organization benefits from the corporate form public–private partnership. Thus, Berlin has a particularly close connection to over 200 partners from companies, research institutions and administrations.

For 2014, Berlin Partner expects more successes. “According to all existing indicators, we will be able to maintain and advance the good level of 2013 in the current year. We see growth potential particularly in expanding our services, locating more companies in the IT and health industry sectors as well as in the high-tech industry”, Melanie Bähr explained. “An especially personal highlight for me will be the Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall, which we will also incorporate into our marketing strategy to contact investors.”