{"id":138369,"date":"2022-12-19T10:50:17","date_gmt":"2022-12-19T09:50:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.voyages-d-affaires.com\/?p=138369"},"modified":"2025-03-24T09:39:17","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T08:39:17","slug":"sarrebruck-germany","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.voyages-d-affaires.com\/en\/sarrebruck-allemagne","title":{"rendered":"Saarbr\u00fccken, a business city at the heart of the Franco-German relationship"},"content":{"rendered":"

Setting up in Germany for a French company? Many decision-makers would immediately think of Berlin, D\u00fcsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich or Stuttgart. And yet, far from the prestige of setting up in one of these major German metropolises, there is one city that particularly attracts the French: Saarbr\u00fccken<\/strong>. With a population of 185,000, the city has nowhere near the demographic potential of Frankfurt or Stuttgart. But it does offer some very attractive conditions for French companies.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The figures speak for themselves. The Saarland<\/strong>It is one of the smallest in the Federal Republic, with just under a million inhabitants, now attracts 17% from all French subsidiaries in Germany<\/strong>. This puts the Land in third place in Germany, behind the 21% market share of the powerful Land of Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg. Or the 18% of Germany's other economic heavyweight, the Land of North Rhine-Westphalia.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Reflecting the economic boom of the 1970s, the centre of Saarbr\u00fccken is a concentration of public institutions, company headquarters and shops along the Saar (Photo: Luc Citrinot)<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Saarland: the third most popular destination in Germany for French companies<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"\u00a0Nearly 200 of the 2,700 companies with 100 % French capital in Germany are based in Saarland.<\/strong>. This result is all the more remarkable given that the Land accounts for only 1.1% of Germany's total GDP.<\/em>\" explains R\u00e9gis Wallet, Business Advisory and Support, CCI France Allemagne (CCFA e.V.)<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

In fact, it is both its history and its geographical proximity that have promoted the Saar and Saarbr\u00fccken as a bridgehead for the French in the Federal Republic<\/strong>. The southern suburbs of Saarbr\u00fccken are thus located in France - the city's central cemetery, for example, has a gate leading directly to the Br\u00e8me d'Or district in Stiring-Wendel. A tramway <\/strong>also links the town of Sarreguemines in Moselle to the centre of Saarbr\u00fccken every 30 minutes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Over the course of its history, the town has been tossed back and forth between Germany and France. The most recent chapter was the Saarland under French occupation after the Second World War. An economic, customs and monetary union was then created between France and Saarland. Including with creation of a Saar franc<\/strong> ! This union came to an end following a referendum on attachment to the Federal Republic of Germany in 1957 - eight years after the creation of the new German state.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This shared past between France and Germany can be seen in the streets of Saarbr\u00fccken, where there is a very French 'je-ne-sais-quoi'. You can see it in the architecture of the city, where French classicism has left its mark on the churches and especially on Ludwigsplatz. But you can also hear a lot of French spoken in Saarbr\u00fccken's hypercentre. According to the CCFA, nearly 17,000 cross-border commuters work in Saarland - more than 6,000 of them in Saarbr\u00fccken alone. This is a significant figure, even if it has been falling since the Covid pandemic.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Every Saturday, Saarbr\u00fccken becomes even more Francophile. A large part of the Moselle department comes to shop in the Saarland capital, where prices are often lower than in neighbouring France.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"\u00a0This creates a favourable environment for the French. The political will of the Saarland government to become a bilingual region is already there.<\/strong>. French is learnt at school, and bilingual experts, consultants and lawyers are easy to find. There is also a real a strategy to promote the entire region in partnership with the Moselle d\u00e9partement and Luxembourg<\/strong>. All these factors are in Saarbr\u00fccken's and the Saarland's favour.<\/em>\" says R\u00e9gis Wallet.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The city's proximity to Paris (only 1 hour 50 minutes by TGV from Saarbr\u00fccken) and Metz (45 minutes away by car and train) also make it an attractive location for a business in Germany. Michelin, Villeroy & Boch and other automotive suppliers are all based in Saarland.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Saarbr\u00fccken, cosmopolitan and forward-looking<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Unlike in neighbouring Lorraine, the steel industry also remains a sector for the future. It still employs 12,000 people. Worth a total of \u20ac3.5 billion, Saarland's steel industry aims to become Europe's leading producer of green steel with low CO2 emissions<\/strong>. From 2027, Saarland is expected to produce up to 3.5 million tonnes of low-CO2 steel a year, saving 4.9 million tonnes of CO2. However, the investment is dependent on public subsidies from the Federal State, the Land and the EU.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Saarbr\u00fccken town hall (Photo: LC)<\/em><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The French language is not our only asset. Saarbr\u00fccken offers an excellent economic mix<\/strong>. As the capital of the Saarland, the city has a well-developed service sector, with all the Land authorities, financial and economic institutions located here. Over the past thirty years, it has also become a major centre for research and education.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"\u00a0Research is working hard on new technologies. Saarbr\u00fccken specialises in Artificial Intelligence.<\/strong>. These include prestigious institutions such as the Frauenhofer Institut and the Helmholz Institut, which specialises in cyber security<\/strong><\/em>\" adds the CCI advisor. Not to mention Franco-German institutions such as the Franco-German University, the Franco-German Legal Centre and the Franco-German Higher Institute for Technology, Economics and Science (DFHI\/ISFATES).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"\u00a0Saarbr\u00fccken is actually quite an ideal choice for the French business community in Germany. Its highly European, multinational character and its proximity to the continent's major business centres make it an ideal location, its very Francophile spirit and also a very reasonable cost of living<\/strong> compared with some very large metropolises are a strong argument in its favour<\/em>\" says R\u00e9gis Wallet. Is Saarbr\u00fccken the best place for the French to learn about German business? An experience worth trying...<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

SARREBRUCK GUIDE<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n