Upper Franconia Aug 05, 2014

Bamberg is booming!

As a business location, Bamberg regularly impresses in studies thanks to its high quality of life and dynamic labour market. The region is attractive for those looking to set up companies and branches: the number of companies and employees is growing all the time. Bamberg's population is even seeing slight growth, in contrast to the general trend in Upper Franconia. What lies behind this success story?

The business location of Bamberg was most recently mentioned in connection with the laying of the foundation stone for a new administration building for Brose in the north of the town. This project will create over 600 jobs and see investment of around EUR 50 million. Alongside Brose, the economic structure is also shaped by other high profile companies, including one of the largest domestic sites of Robert Bosch GmbH. In general, however, the region is dominated by small and medium-sized companies – 80% of the companies in the rural district have ten or fewer employees. All in all, the mix of sectors in Bamberg is well balanced.


As a business location, Bamberg is characterised by the good cooperation between all relevant stakeholders. The town's business development agency maintains close contact with that of the rural district and its 36 municipalities. Exchange is also pursued across town and rural district boundaries, with the joint regional management between the towns of Bamberg and Forcheim and their respective rural districts being particularly noteworthy. This makes it possible to offer companies exactly the spaces they need – a reason for expansions, new company settlements and start-ups.


Another key advantage Bamberg offers is its excellent infrastructure, especially its outstanding transport connections. Three motorways criss-cross the rural district, while Bamberg itself is situated on the high-speed rail route connecting Munich, Nuremberg and Berlin, and is also linked to the Middle Franconian city of Nuremberg via an urban rail link (S-Bahn). When it comes to waterways, Bamberg can be accessed via its inland port, which is the starting point of the Main-Danube canal. Bamberg's companies also benefit from the university. The transfer of knowledge and innovation provides vital impetus for the region.


Tourism also clearly indicates that Bamberg is booming. The entire old town has been a UNESCO World Heritage site for over ten years now, and is a popular destination for visitors from Germany and further afield. There is also the world-renowned Bamberg Symphony. The Steigerwald, Haßberge and Fränkische Schweiz nature parks are all in the immediate vicinity.


You can find more information on Bamberg as a business location in the investor brochure  "Bamberg Ihr Platz", recently published by the town of Bamberg, and on the district business promotion agency's website.