Good reasons to invest in Niedersachsen

Infrastructure

Niedersachsen's distinctive position in the centre of Europe: at the intersection of international highways from Scandinavia to Italy and Amsterdam/Paris/London via Berlin and Warsaw to Moscow; ranking second on rail freight volume in Germany; nine seaports along the 300-km North Sea coast, gateways to America, the Far East and the rest of the world; north Germany's principal airport with 24/7 operation and over 5 million passengers a year.

Checklist

Essential Niedersachsen statistics:

• Second-largest German federal state, covering almost 50,000 km²
• Population 8 million
• More than 1,400 km of federal motorways, over 4,700 km of national highways
• More than 4,100 km of rail network
• Eight stations with high-speed rail connections
• Nine international seaports, 17 inland harbours, around 1,100 km of inland waterways
• Germany's only, and Europe's easternmost, deepwater harbour

Markets

High domestic purchasing power and strong demand for goods and services from Niedersachsen; the State’s GDP annual is running at around 260 billion €. Trade fairs serve as attractive sales and marketing platforms for domestic and international companies: the world-famous HANNOVER MESSE, CeBIT and AGRITECHNICA. Stable and dynamic markets in mobility, maritime, renewable energy, life sciences, food, aerospace, lightweight construction and digital enterprise.

Research

Niedersachsen’s economy is shaped and driven by research-intensive industries and ranks third in Germany on research intensity in the high-value technology field, thanks to close cooperation with facilities that conduct cutting–edge research in their respective field and work closely with private enterprise. This is one strong reason why Niedersachsen is among the regions with the highest rate of patent applications in Germany, and offers an exceptionally healthy environment for innovative, growth-focused companies.

Companies

Niedersachsen offers companies considering a new location a vibrant business community constantly seeking to expand its supplier and cooperation networks. Numerous SMEs already benefit from Niedersachsen’s major companies through the reputation, the economic stability and innovative knowledge transfer that can only evolve here in this region.

Taxation

Often a crucial question for new investors: how high are commercial and property tax rates?
In Niedersachsen, company and property taxes are below the national average. From national statistical office data, and comparing the weighted average assessment rates across Germany’s federal states – a cost-efficient location. Our experts will be pleased to advise you.

Quality of life

Niedersachsen is an attractive and popular holiday destination – no other Federal State can offer such a wide variety, from seaside resorts along the North Sea coast to winter sports in the Harz Mountains, while in the Lüneburger Heide there are more leisure and adventure parks than anywhere else in Germany. The significant and growing tourist sector reflects the generally high quality of life all over Niedersachsen.

Talent

Niedersachsen is notable for an above-average student quota in STEM subjects, along with life science, agrotechnology and food sciences. National comparisons reveal that Niedersachsen’s educational spending per professor and student is the highest in Germany, demonstrating the commitment to knowledge-oriented research and teaching. In vocational training, too, Niedersachsen is among the national leaders.