Baden-Württemberg and Stuttgart: quiet opulence

Report and photos by Luc Citrinot.

"Pandemic, what pandemic?" you might be tempted to say as you stroll through the streets of Paris. Stuttgart. The south-western metropolis ofGermany seems to be completely oblivious to the crisis. The terraces of cafés and restaurants are teeming with people as summer draws to a close, cultural life is in full swing, and Mercedes and other luxury cars line the pavements of this city of over 600,000 inhabitants.

Everything here exudes opulence, but an opulence that we hope is in good taste. " Stuttgart is one of Germany's richest citiesWith an opulence that is discreet and solid. We don't flaunt our wealth here. That's a strength for this city and a magnet for business travellers We're looking forward to working with you," explains Armin Dellnitz, Managing Director of the Stuttgart Marketing GmbH tourism promotion agency. Armin Dellnitz, who has come to Stuttgart from northern Germany, has been director of the tourist office for over 12 years. " Stuttgart's appeal lies in its pragmatism and openness to all trends and cultures. "he says.

This impression is echoed in the Land's other major cities. In Karlsruhe, Mannheim, Freiburg and Heidelberg, daily life has returned to more or less normal after months of confinement due to covid.

With 11 million inhabitants - as many as Belgium - a GDP per capita of 47,290 euros, a purchasing power of almost 40% higher than the European Union average and unemployment affecting only 2.4% of the population, the Baden-Württemberg is Germany's economic heavyweight. It alone generates 15.3 % of the Federal Republic's GDP. The secret of this economic success is a political and economic environment that works well together. The big names in German industry - Bosch, Daimler Benz, Kärcher, Porsche - are based in Stuttgart. But they are not alone: ABB, Hewlett-Packard, Michelin, Roche and Samsung have also chosen Baden-Württemberg as the location for their German presence. L'Oréal, for example, has its local headquarters in Karlsruhe.

The region's dynamism is also reflected in its dense network of SMEs. Many of these are grouped together in specific "clusters". There are 110 such clusters across the Land, promoting contact between SMEs, research centres and services. The Land's economic and political players are therefore showing pragmatism in the face of a brilliant economic situation, barely marred by the Covid epidemic. Although the elections last March brought about a notable political change, with a very mixed coalition of CDU conservatives and ecologists, the revolution did not take place.
" In France, such an association would be a bit like fire and water. Here, perhaps more than elsewhere, we have a sense of what is good for the region. The new coalition has signed a governance programme. And it is being applied to the letter, like a contract. And all in the name of this pragmatic approach. It's a great place to be," says Catherine Veber, Consul General of France in Stuttgart. Whatever their political leanings, the parties in power are well aware of the region's assets.

Europe's leading region for innovation

In fact, Baden-Württemberg is regarded as a Europe's leading region for innovation. Together with Bavaria, the two Länder account for almost 50 % of all research and development spending in Germany - including 27 % in Baden-Württemberg alone. The Land devotes almost 6 % of its GDP to research, almost double the German average and well ahead of China, Japan and the United States. Freiburg, Heidelberg, Heilbronn and Karlsruhe are, in fact, major players in this field.major research centres, particularly in sustainable mobility and the environment, health and information and communication technologies.

Karlsruhe is home to the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), one of Germany's leading institutes, with over 9,000 researchers and 25,000 students. This institution has enabled the city to establish itself as Germany's capital of information technology and the internet.

The region is therefore ideal for French business travellers, both for its proximity and its sense of innovation. For example, there is very active cooperation on the Upper Rhine, involving Alsace, Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany, as well as the Basel region in Switzerland. Combating global warming, joint rail infrastructure, cross-border business parks and university and scientific cooperation are just some of the issues addressed by this supra-regional body. And it is helping to position Baden-Württemberg as a key partner for French companies in Germany.