Niedersachsen

Niedersachsen is Germany’s second-largest state, stretching from the Harz Mountains in the east to the North Sea in the west. Its size and location put it right in the center of the major trans-European trade routes.

This central location has attracted the headquarters of a significant number of foreign companies and some of the world’s largest trade fairs, including the Hanover Industrial Trade Fair and CeBIT, the world’s largest IT trade fair. Twenty inland harbors and nine sea harbors make the state a hub for international freight transportation. Luxury cruise ships are also constructed here, and the JadeWeserPort under construction in Wilhelmshaven will be Germany’s largest deep-water port.

These industries are joined by agriculture, logistics, electronic engineering, steel, chemicals, and travel – with the state being home to TUI, the tourism industry giant. At the same time, companies in e-business, biotechnology, and high-tech are growing rapidly. The region’s major industry, however, is undoubtedly the automotive sector, especially due to Volkswagen’s major presence in Wolfsburg and Continental’s in Hanover. The state is also famous for its more than 30 institutions of higher learning, such as those at Braunschweig and Göttingen, and its research centers, particularly those in science, medicine, and aerospace.