Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt has a population of around 2.3 million inhabitants and covers a land surface area of more than 20,000 square kilometers.
Alongside the federal state capital of Magdeburg, the cities of Halle/Saale and Dessau-Roßlau make up further important industrial focal points.
Saxony-Anhalt is a dynamic and productive business location that scores highly thanks to the high performance of its workforce as well as the right economic framework and attractive location factors. Close proximity to markets in western and eastern Europe thanks to its central location in Germany, and excellent national transport connections are “trademarks” of the state.
The industrial sector in Saxony-Anhalt is highly specialized. It includes the chemistry and bio-economy lead markets as well as energy, machinery and plant construction, resource efficiency, water technologies, mobility and logistics, food and agriculture, and health care and medicine. These sectors are complemented by the information and communication technologies (ICT), key technologies, and creative economy cross-sector markets.
The major economic driving forces are the automotive, chemicals, and food industry sectors. While the flourishing chemical sector in the "Middle German Chemical Triangle" includes big names including Bayer, Total and Dow Chemical, the state has established itself as a globally leading competence center in the field of polymer production and processing. Special-purpose helmets produced in Saxony-Anhalt are even used in Formula One racing. Saxony-Anhalt has developed to become an innovative and efficient automotive sector competence center.
Close links between science and industry and a logistically convenient location make the state an important location for the automotive supplier industry. With a tradition of over 150 years in machinery and plant construction, the sector’s 270 or so companies contribute significantly to the high technical and technological level of production “Made in Saxony-Anhalt.” The food industry in Saxony-Anhalt benefits from excellent soil quality and steady supply of raw materials including grain, sugar and meat direct from the region. Halberstadt sausages, Hasseröder beer, Halloren chocolate balls, and Little Red Riding Hood sparkling wine are just a few examples of premium products from the region - products that are not just known nationwide 25 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, but internationally with export rates continuing to rise step by step.
Saxony-Anhalt can be considered as the cradle of German engineering. Here, Otto von Guericke established the physics of vacuums and the Association of German Engineers was founded. The spirit of innovation has persisted in the region and is today reflected in pioneering solutions e.g. in the fields of Industrie 4.0, digitalization, lightweight construction, and sustainable water technologies.
The cities of Halle and Magdeburg, with their large universities and research facilities, form major science centers. Graduates from the two universities, 12 colleges and 22 research institutions are highly prized by businesses for their outstanding expertise and innovative capabilities. Moderate production costs and quick decision-making and authorization levels make Saxony-Anhalt a model example of economic efficiency.
Saxony-Anhalt also has a great deal to offer culturally. It is the federal state with the highest concentration of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Germany. These include the Bauhaus in Dessau, the Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm, Naumburg Cathedral, the historical old town in Quedlinburg as well as the Luther Memorials in Eisleben and Wittenberg – making Saxony-Anhalt a magnet for domestic and international visitors alike.
