Berlin can assert itself very well

The economy of the capital defies the crises and continues to develop positively - albeit at a somewhat slower pace. The 2022 balance sheet figures of Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie GmbH confirm this: Berlin Partner supported companies in 239 projects, creating a total of 8389 new jobs in the capital. A record sum of around 1.1 billion Euro is being invested. What is shown: In Berlin, the heart continues to beat digitally. About half of the jobs are created in the future-oriented sectors of ICT, media and creative industries. Around 573 million Euro (and therefore almost half of the planned investments) will also flow into these areas.

Investments in research and development also reached a new record level. In the 59 innovation projects that Berlin Partner managed, a total of around 140.1 million Euro were raised for research and development.

The projects supported by Berlin Partner also provide important economic impetus for the entire Berlin economy: According to calculations by the economists at Investitionsbank Berlin (IBB), the additional investment and employment effects triggered by Berlin Partner will support gross domestic product by a total of 1.9 billion Euro in the period 2022 to 2024. In the same period, public revenues will increase by almost 260 million Euro due to the additional value-added effects. Almost five percent of all private investments in Berlin can be traced back to investments by companies managed by Berlin Partner.

As a business promoter, Berlin Partner accompanies companies across all sectors, both when settling in Berlin and while growing there, networks them in the region, provides information about funding opportunities and advises them on the search for suitable personnel. Last year, 73 companies settled in Berlin, 49 of them from abroad. Most of these companies come from Europe (32 percent), followed by North, Latin and South America with around 19 percent. The share of settlements from the Middle East, East and Oceania is 16%.

Stephan Schwarz, Senator for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises: “The economic metropolis of Berlin was also able to hold its own very well in the past year of stacking crises. We can look back on clearly above-average economic growth, a leading position in the creation of new jobs and an unbroken attractiveness for investments from Germany and abroad. There are three reasons for this: A strong economic structure, a dynamic innovation environment that attracts talent from everywhere, and a clear political commitment to developing Berlin into a leading business and technology location in Europe.”

Dr Stefan Franzke, Managing Director of Berlin Partner: “After all the bad news of the past few years, it was not necessarily expected that we would be chasing records again so quickly. However, the entrepreneurs in Berlin have shown once again that Berlin is the right place – to start a business, to grow, to surpass yourself. They have shown once again that good ideas are booming in times of crisis. Berlin Partner therefore sees itself, more than ever before, as a promoter of ideas in the capital. And because things will not get any easier this year, we will also be there for the business community in 2023 – with good ideas, with advice and action, and always together.”

Berlin will remain the start-up capital of the state in 2022 and therefore a top location for founders. In terms of deal volume, the capital is the undisputed leader. In total, start-ups received almost 4.9 billion Euro last year – which means that almost every second Euro invested went to the Spree area. Bavaria follows in 2nd place (2.4 billion Euro), ahead of Baden-Württemberg with 646 million Euro. Berlin is also ahead when it comes to the number of deals. 367 Berlin start-ups received financing and were able to unite 39 percent of the nationwide counted financing rounds. Bavaria is in second place, followed by North Rhine-Westphalia. Furthermore, Berlin was voted the best location for start-ups and young companies in Europe last year - for the second time in a row, ahead of London and Barcelona. This is the result of the Startup Heat Map 2022, which is based on a survey of more than 24,000 entrepreneurs. In Berlin, the ecosystem, value for money and access to finance are rated particularly positively. The Startup Agenda 2022-2026 adopted by the State of Berlin in November is intended to help further expand Berlin’s position and create an excellent start-up and growth area for the sustainable further development of the ecosystem.