Bavaria’s concentration of industrial multinationals, along with a fertile ground for high-growth startups, has elevated the state into Europe’s premier technology hub. Its vibrant ecosystem of forward-thinking institutes and businesses has attracted subsidiaries for 32 of the world’s 50 most innovative companies. Bavaria’s capital city Munich sets its mark on a global scale, ranking as the #1 European city in the ICT industry, as rated by the European Commission – ahead of London and Paris.
Thirty German bluechips and a multitude of international corporations have chosen Bavaria due to its diverse and attractive B2B environment. Data solutions and technologies developed by large and emerging businesses in the state include the latest innovations in artificial intelligence and augmented reality, big data and cloud technology, cybersecurity, gaming, industrial internet and software development. Combined with a leading position in more traditional fields, Bavaria also remains at the forefront of technology advancements in automotive, financial services & insurance, healthcare and agriculture.
IBM made its largest investment in Europe in more than two decades when it opened the global headquarters for Watson IoT in Munich in 2017. It was attracted here by the rare combination of industrial companies, universities, technical expertise, talent and Bavaria’s business- and investment-friendly policies. The decision brought IBM should-to-shoulder with other giants in Munich like Intel with its first IoT Ignition Lab, Volkswagen’s Data Lab, Huawei’s Openlab, Accenture’s first worldwide IoT Innovation Center and one of three Microsoft IoT & AI Insider Labs. Google and Technical University of Munich (TUM) also recently announced their long-term partnership for research and innovation in artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics. A leading position in emerging fields like these is one reason Bill Gates called Bavaria the “high-tech Mecca” of Europe.
As the EU’s seventh largest single economy with its second highest purchasing power, Bavaria provides an especially strong opportunity for B2B technology companies, with a thriving consumer-facing industry at the same time. It’s why emerging U.S. businesses are opening offices in the region, among them AppDyanmics, AppSense, Box, OpenX, Outbrain and Salesforce. Adding to the excellent market opportunities are government programs like Bayern Digital, investing billions of euros in Bavaria’s strategy to secure its leading role as a digital business location.
Bavaria accounts for a third of Germany’s annual patent applications, with approximately 15,000 per year. It helps when two-thirds of the world’s 50 most innovative companies are nearby, along with a regional network of upper-echelon universities and incubators churning out small and medium enterprises. Bavaria is the place where multinationals create meaningful collaborations with one of Europe’s strongest clusters of homegrown startups, including Brainloop, Baimos, Boxcryptor, Celonis, Kinexon and Konux.
Feel free to contact one of our U.S. representatives directly, or request a meeting using the form below.
Representative offices for the Bavarian U.S. Offices for Economic Development are located in Boston, New York and San Francisco to assist American companies interested in establishing an office or facility in Germany. We provide complimentary and confidential services for all stages of setting up a business in the state, from planning and site selection to implementation. Contact us to help you land in Bavaria successfully.
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