Dresden – Excellence personified

What makes Dresden so unique? And what is this ‘Dresden Spirit’ which attracts so many people from Germany and abroad to research, study, invest and live here?

Good questions need good answers, and we gave ours in a national and international location campaign with the Dresden Business Development hub towards the start of 2016. The campaign shows what makes Dresden, a City of Excellence, so truly excellent – with fantastic examples taken from the city’s business and science hub. Close to the doers. Close to the thinkers. And in the heart of Dresden’s high-tech centre.

Dresden is taking concrete steps to follow Europe’s long-term strategy for wealth, employment and competitiveness. In our city, science and industry work together closely to develop urgently needed, intelligent and forward-looking solutions. Global megatrends like resource efficiency, climate change, demographics, urbanisation, globalisation and the knowledge society are not just buzzwords in Dresden – they’re part of the fabric of everyday life.

The PR location campaign: Reaching business and science

Through conference and location marketing – and in close cooperation with the Dresden Business Development hub – we make our presence felt where it really matters. This means Dresden, City of Excellence – A New Way for the Future is more than just a PR campaign; it’s an effective communication tool that can be used to teach others about our business and science hub and encourage investment.

We actively contribute to decisions made for Dresden as a business destination by communicating the city’s unique advantages in the European market. This means Dresden isn’t just close to the megatrends in key technology sectors – it creates them. We also promote interdisciplinary collaboration between business and science. With a one-stop office for fast decision-making and the crowdfunding project Dresden Durchstarter, we also help founders to get ahead.

Recommendations: Must Watch!

Activities for the PR location campaign

• Press events at leading industry trade fairs/conferences and other forums for dialogue in target markets, as well as location-based local, national and international conventions
• Press trips, editorial visits and delegation trips, etc.
• Creation of press materials (campaign website, press kit, promo films, best cases, etc.)
• Topic management and storytelling

We’re delighted to support current projects and events by commercial companies, industry associations and academic institutions from Dresden and the surrounding area.

Outstanding research: Science in Dresden

One of Europe’s leading research centres. A scientific community with an excellent international reputation. A fantastic technology hub. Tremendous non-university research. Efficient and cooperative partnerships and interdisciplinary networking.

What sounds like an academic’s dream is actually a reality – at least in the city of Dresden. The best part is that these descriptions haven’t come from us, marketing professionals, but from esteemed scientists, researchers and visionaries who love Dresden and mention it in the same breath as Cambridge and Harvard.
Those who want to get more involved with Dresden’s scientific community will encounter an incredibly harmonious sector, boasting smart, skilled workers, healthy structures, visionary thinking and enduring cooperation. At virtually no other science hub is the natural interplay between different disciplines and institutes as pronounced as it is in Dresden. Instead of pursuing mutual isolation, local scientists pool their resources and foster open communication between basic research and the applied sciences – epitomising the ‘Dresden Spirit’ that thrills locals and visitors alike. Here, visionary ideas actually find their way into the key international markets of today and tomorrow.

Last but not least, the wonderful living standards in this artistic, cultural city, excellent provision for children and families, and the friendly nature of a compact metropolis make Dresden a dream destination for anyone who wants to achieve something special – and stay curious.
You can read more about the views of extraordinary researchers – and get to know science hub Dresden first-hand – in a series of exciting interviews.

Turning ideas into commercial success: Business in Dresden

Three main areas of expertise, three strong drivers: Dresden looks to the future every day – and is very often a step ahead.

As the largest and most innovative microelectronics hub in Europe, the city boasts more than 1,500 companies employing over 48,000 employees (annual sales in 2010: €8.7 billion, up 48% on 2006). From chip design, through high-volume wafer production and processing, to the supplier, service and user industries, the entire supply chain calls Dresden home.

Today, around 10% of all nanotechnology companies in Germany are based in the Dresden region – and this figure grows every year. Over 2,000 materials scientists develop cross-cutting technologies in the city, helping to bring us leaps and bounds ahead of the competition in microelectronics, the life sciences, mechanical and plant engineering and vehicle manufacturing.

The life sciences / biotechnology field is still relatively new – and its main driver is high-calibre, interdisciplinary basic research right here in our city. Thanks to the dynamic start-up scene and targeted migration policies, Dresden is a pioneer in German biotech – and attracts more and more companies every day.