TRANSATLANTIC ENTREPRENEUR PARTNERSHIP
Berlin: The Best of Two Worlds
New York International Interviews Stefan Franzke, Managing Spokesperson of Berlin Partner
B
How has this increase in investment
been reflected in the city?
The city is growing at a tremendous pace:
the influx of talent from outside the city
has contributed to the city’s net population increase of 40,000 people annually. In
addition, about 30,000 Berlin university
students successfully graduate and start
their careers each year. Comparatively
low rents and the unique, inspiring at-
erlin Partner is the Berlin-based
association to develop businesses and market the city of Berlin
with a wide range of initatives and programs including The Berlin Startup
Unit and TEP. New York International
sat down with Dr. Franzke to get some
insight into Berlin’s recent success as a
global startup hub.
You came to New York last year. Could
you give us an update on Berlin as a
business location in 2015?
Berlin is on the upswing. The economy is thriving and economic growth
is higher than the national average as
more and more people move to the
German capital to realize their ideas.
In a way, we are the creative workshop
of Europe.
What would you say has been the
source of Berlin’s success?
Berlin’s outstanding positive development is due to a promising combination with the best of two worlds coming
together in Berlin; the mixture of traditional industries and creative founders
with digital expertise attracts companies from around the world. Conditions
for young entrepreneurs could not be
better, and startups are springing up
like mushrooms in Berlin, making the
city burst with digital expertise. One
in eight–nearly 18,000–new jobs created since 2008 have been in the digital
economy.
What role does New York City play in
all of this?
Coming to TEP in New York is an important part of the Berlin Startup Unit, which
was initiated by the state of Berlin together
with partners from the business and science sectors along with the startup scene.
The Berlin Startup Unit’s mission is to develop and implement startup initiatives
and projects in partnership with all of the
Berlin’s outstanding positive development is due
to...the mixture of traditional industries and creative
founders with digital expertise attracts companies
from around the world
Berlin Partner/Fotostudio Charlottenburg
up capital in Europe has never been
as close as it is right now, as the startup scene faces the question, “London
or Berlin?” Since 201