The Uckermark district in the northeastern part of the state of Brandenburg is optimally situated between Berlin and the vibrant port city of Szczecin in Poland, providing swift and easy access to the Nordic and Baltic regions.
The region is home to Eastern Germany’s largest crude oil refinery (PCK) as well as one of the largest paper mills in Germany, Leipa. Both companies are located in the city of Schwedt and, together with other companies, make up the industrial core of the county. The city of Schwedt is about to transform itself into a sustainable and innovative industrial location. The New Camp” co-working space was opened in late 2024 and attracts start-ups and entrepreneurs. Leipa’s reallabor (“living lab”) for the circular bioeconomy offers space to develop and test new business models from scratch. From 2027 onwards, the center for transformation - TRAFO – will open its doors and be a central part of the Innovation Campus Schwedt.
Location Advantages
The Uckermark’s strong industrial base offers ample opportunities for international companies. The PCK refinery in Schwedt offers ample opportunities for companies active in the energy sector or industrial production seeking to take advantage of all of the benefits of a modern refinery and industrial location. Crude oil pipeline connections to the ports of Rostock and Gdansk are another attractive feature specific to the region One of Germany’s first repurposed gas pipelines, which will be part of Germany’s hydrogen core network, is crossing the Uckermark and will be in operation by the end of 2025. The PCK refinery will be connected to the pipeline. Together with an excess capacity of wind and solar energy, carbon neutral energies will help transform the oil refinery site in Schwedt into an important energy node for the future. Already today, a brand new 380 kV power transmission line is connecting producers of green electricity with industrial and private consumers in the region and beyond. Optimal rail and waterway connections complete an already impressive logistics infrastructure picture.
Established in 2023 by the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE), Leipa, PCK, and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, the Start-up Lab Schwedt provides space for students and entrepreneurs to develop projects in transformative industry sectors and set-up and test initial production.
Business Case: Industry Park Schwedt (PCK)
There are a number of attractive business and industry sites awaiting you in the Uckermark.
The Industry Park Schwedt is located on the site of the PCK refinery – one of the largest industrial areas in Brandenburg – and offers fully developed areas for connecting industries. There are currently more than 90 companies active on the 1,000-hectare site.
The PCK refinery has a maximum processing capacity of around 11 million tons per annum, making it one of the biggest refinery facilities in the country. In 2005 Europe’s first bioethanol plant located directly on the site of a mineral oil refinery was established and was extended to became a biorefinery by 2010. This brings the advantage of short transport routes and energetic integration into a large refinery. In the forthcoming years, the refinery plans to reduce its CO2 footprint significantly and diversify into related business segments such as SAF or green hydrogen. This transformation offers investors various business opportunities. In addition, circular economy projects play an important role at PCK’s industrial park and also other sites in and around Schwedt including Leipa and the port of Schwedt.
Contact the Taskforce Transformation team to find out more about other attractive business cases and market opportunities in the Uckermark.
