Business Facilities - September 2008 - (Page 40)

INTERNATIONAL PROFILE Germany By Bill Trüb Germany: Europe’s Economic Juggernaut World-famous for its expertise in automotive manufacturing and brewing beer, modern Germany also has established itself as a media magnet, an IT hub, and a finance center. G ermany’s head of government, Federal Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel, was named the most powerful woman in the world for the third consecutive year by Forbes magazine in August. The ranking’s criteria analyzes each woman’s professional career trajectory, media coverage, and economic impact; based on this last factor, Merkel’s spot at the pinnacle of the list is not surprising. Germany’s economy is the strongest in Europe and the third-largest in the world, behind only the United States and Japan. In 2007, Germany’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) soared near EUR 2,423.8 billion, and its location on the borders of nine countries at the crossroads of Europe, bolsters the republic’s worldwide economic stronghold. With more than three million residents, Berlin is Germany’s energetic capital city, and one of 16 geographically and linguistically diverse states. From the winding Rhine River in the west to the lush Bavarian Alps in the south, Germany’s distinct regions offer various business opportunities across many industry sectors. HOLLYWOOD, BOLLYWOOD AND BAVARIA? The area surrounding Munich, a culturally rich German city and home to the world-famous Oktoberfest, is becoming a strong media magnet, attracting both German and foreign communication and production companies. “This shows that Bavaria is an outstanding location with great market and business potential, especially in a dynamic sector like the media industry,” says Bavaria’s Minister of Economics Affairs, Emilia Müller. Nearly 25 of the top 100 media companies in Germany come from MOST POPULOUS GERMAN CITIES Berlin (Berlin): 3,275,000 Hamburg (Hamburg): 1,686,100 Munich (Bavaria): 1,185,400 Köln (Northrhine-Westfalia): 965,300 Frankfurt (Hessen): 648,000 Essen (Northrhine-Westfalia): 588,800 Dortmund (Northrhine-Westfalia): 587,600 Stuttgart (Baden-Württemberg): 581,100 Düsseldorf (Northrhine-Westfalia): 568,900 Bremen (Bremen): 527,900 Lake Hintersee in Germany’s idyllic state of Bavaria 40 SEPTEMBER 2008 PHOTO CREDIT: WIKIPEDIA

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Business Facilities- September 2008 Contents First Word Snapshots Corporate Moves:�Mississippi Editor's Location Picks 2008 The Palmetto State Reaches Across the Sea Corporate Moves:�Tennessee Metro Spotlight:�Spokane, WA Biotech: Building Block for Development Wind Power Lifts Iowa Germany:�Europe's Economic Juggernaut California Here We Come Up, Up and Away in North Carolina Corporate Moves:�West Virginia Metro Spotlight:�Decatur/Greensburg, IN Advertiser Index Ask the Expert

Business Facilities - September 2008

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