Logistics made in Germany.
Fast, flexible, reliable.
See below for information about the infrastructure and economy in the 16 federal states.
The state borders on France to the west, Switzerland to the south and Austria - across Lake Constance. Any European capital can be reached by air in a matter of hours from here. The state covers an area measuring almost 5,725 square kilometres and with its 10,457,000 residents, it is the third largest in Germany. In economic terms, Baden-Württemberg is one of the most competitive regions in the EU.
State capital: Stuttgart
Area: 35,752 km²
Number of residents: 10,747,500
Population density: 300 people per km²
At least 28,000 kilometres of roads, which are part of the network of German motorways and long-distance routes, provide ideal conditions for domestic and international passenger and freight traffic. The most important north-south links are the A 5 and A 81 motorways and a short stretch of the A 7. The A 6 motorway plays a key role as an arterial road running east-west.
Freight can be carried right across the state along the Deutsche Bahn network that stretches 3,400 kilometres. There is also a network of other railway routes that carry passengers and goods.
Inland waterway shipping on the rivers Rhine and Neckar links Baden-Württemberg with the largest inland oil terminal in Europe and the ports of Heilbronn and Kehl.
Baden-Württemberg is linked to the rest of the world through the international airports at Stuttgart and Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden. The regional airport at Friedrichshafen, the Black Forest Airport near Lahr and the Mannheim City Airport also provide quick links and are used for freight traffic.
With approx. 10.7 million residents and one of the highest per-capita incomes in Europe, Baden-Württemberg is larger and economically stronger than many member states in the European Union. In the field of industrial high technology and research and development, Baden-Württemberg is a leading force within the EU and acts as an innovating force. Growth sectors are particularly R&D-intensive industries and knowledge-intensive services. The five strongest growth sectors in the federal state are information and communications services, electrical engineering, vehicle production, manufacturing chemical products and the health and social services sector. Industry in particular plays a leading role and this means that Baden-Württemberg is the federal state where industry plays the largest role in its gross domestic product.
The Free State of Bayern is the largest federal state and is located in the south-east of the Federal Republic of Germany. It is a hub for east-west and north-south trade. Thanks to its unique geographical location, Bayern is an important transit area and a significant gateway to Central, Southern and Eastern Europe. Almost all the traffic from North-West Europe to Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia and other parts of Southern and South-Eastern Europe passes through Bayern. It is easy to reach all of Europe's main business centres from here.
State capital: Municha
Area: 70,550 km²
Number of residents: approx. 12,500
Population density: 177.50 people per km²
More than 137,000 kilometres of roads that are connected to the network of German motorways and long-distance routes and seven European north-south, east-west links provide ideal conditions for domestic and international passenger and freight traffic.
Bayern has an efficient network of transhipment centres for combined freight traffic. The Bavarian government is seeking to expand this network.
Inland water traffic on the Rhine/Main/Danube waterways links Bavaria with the major sea ports and ports on the Black Sea. Approx. 10.55 million tonnes of goods were handled at Bavarian ports in 2005.
The international airports at Munich and Nuremberg provide connections to the European and intercontinental network of routes. The Franz Josef Strauss airport at Munich is one of the most important hubs for air traffic in Europe.
Industry in Bavaria is dominated by high-technology sectors like vehicle manufacturing, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and information and communications technology. Bayern is also one of the leading international business locations for specialist sectors like biotechnology, medical engineering, the aerospace industry, energy technology and mechatronics. The services sector is also very important in Bayern; the Free State is the leading location for insurance companies (insurance location no. 1 in Germany), banking (banking location no. 2 in Germany), media companies and the tourism sector. Bayern has also remained one of the main agricultural regions in Europe despite its transformation into a high-tech state.
Capital: Berlin
Area: 892 km²
Population: 3,460,725 (as of 12/2010)
GDP per capita: 27,499 EUR
Location (neighbouring states/ EU-countries): The capital region Berlin-Brandenburg is centrally located within Europe
neighbouring states: Mecklenburg-Hither Pomerania, Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony; neighbouring country: Poland
Key industries: manufacturing, mobility and clean technologies, green technology and pharmacy, service, media, IT
Number of employees in logistics: ca. 180.000 within the capital region Berlin-Brandenburg
Berlin-Westhafen is Berlin's most important logistics centre. This tri-modal port located at the edge of the city centre is an ideal starting point for the distribution of goods within Berlin. In September 2012, the heavy cargo shuttle “URSUS” (Ro-Ro-ramps) of the logistics provider Berlin Hafen und Lagerhausgesellschaft BEHALA was put into operation. With this shuttle, heavy haulage (e.g. gas turbines) with a weight of up to 1,000 tons is relocated to the waterways. Thus, since cargo can be transported over the water, European seaports are in direct reach.
Capital: Potsdam
Area: 29,482 km²
Population: 2,5 m.
GDP per capita: 22,051 EUR
Location (neighbouring states/EU-countries): the German capital region Berlin-Brandenburg is centrally located within Europe; neighbouring states: Mecklenburg-Hither Pomerania, Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony; neighbouring country: Poland
Key industries: automotive, aeronautical technology, rail transport technology, energy, logistics, food industry, geo-information industry, media, optics, chemistry, metal
Number of employees in logistics: 180,000
Renowned logistics firms with a wide range of services and specific solutions for various industries are located in the area. Some examples are DB Schenker, Kühne & Nagel, DPD, UPS, Panalpina, GEFCO, Rhenus and Zalando.
This region has developed expertise in seaport hinterland traffic, for example with the sites Falkenberg (BLG Railtec GmbH- Automotive), Schwarzheide (BASF chemistry logistics), the freight village Berlin South, Großbeeren (firm: Fiege textile logistics), Wittenberge with a public inland port, logistics hub Wustermark with freight village, inland port, KV-terminal and railway yard.
Capital: Bremen
Area: 41,937 ha
Population: 661,301
GDP per capita: 68,592 EUR
Location (neighbouring states/ EU-countries): Seaport city connected to worldwide traffic
Key industries: automobile, foods and luxury foods, traffic and logistics, aerospace industry, engineering
Number of employees in logistics: 59,600 (as of 2005)
seaport logistics, freight village, off-shore wind energy, BLG Logistics Group, Eurogate
Capital: Hamburg
Area: 755 km²
Population: 1.804 m.
GDP per capita: 52,731 EUR
Location (neighbouring states/ EU-countries): States: Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony
Key industries: port and logistics, life sciences, aerospace industry, media & IT, renewable energies, shipping and trade
Number of employees in logistics: 175,000
Hamburg represents the “gate to the world” and constitutes the bridge between east and west, or between the intercontinental traffic and the Baltic Sea. Hamburg is the most eastern port of the North Sea and, at the same time, the most western port of the Baltic Sea, and thus connects the booming region China with the developed markets of central and Eastern Europe as well as the Baltic states. Hamburg's port is Europe's biggest transshipment point for railway container traffic. Thanks to the its efficient quattro-modal connection and its diversified structure, any logistics service is possible at this logistical hub.
The container terminal Altenwerder of Hamburg's port is one of the most modern and most productive transshipment points of the world and is internationally recognised as “state of the art”. Thanks to its high degree of automation and compact layout, the terminal is groundbreaking for future container trade. The latest technologies and innovative EDP systems guarantee an efficient loading and discharge of ships, especially big container ships. Hamburg further profits from an electromobility research centre located in the terminal, which contributes to its reputation as Green Logistics Capital.
Capital: Wiesbaden
Area: 21,115 km²
Population: 6,067,021
GDP per capita: 37,616 EUR
Location (neighbouring states/ EU-countries): Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bavaria, Thuringia, Lower Saxony, North-Rhine Westphalia
Key industries: finance, automotive, automobile and supplier industry, aeronautical engineering, green technology, logistics, telecommunications
Number of employees in logistics: 172,000 employees subject to social insurance contributions
Its location in the geographical centre of Europe as well as its excellent infrastructure make Hesse an ideal place for logistics. Northern Hesse offers the latest cut-off time within Germany and thus best conditions for the over-night delivery of goods. With more than 275 direct flights to international destinations, Frankfurt International Airport ensures global airfreight connections.
The so-called House of Logistics & Mobility at Frankfurt Airport is an innovation centre of logistics and mobility. Here, business and political representatives work in an industry-spanning and interdisciplinary context to find solutions for the challenges of today and the future. The collaboration of different competences and a network of partners in various countries let this project shine internationally.
Capital: Schwerin
Area: 23,193 km²
Population: 1,634,800
GDP per capita: 21,363 EUR
Location (neighbouring states/ EU-countries): Poland, Brandenburg, Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein
Key industries: agriculture, food, wood industry, tourism, shipping, transportation and logistics, health management, renewable energies
Number of employees in logistics: 60,000
Quick access to national and international markets is granted through excellent connections to land and sea traffic. The federal highways A14, A19, A 20 and A 24 connect the metropolitan areas of Berlin and Hamburg as well as Central Germany. Direct ferry connections exist between the ports of Rostock and Sassnits to other countries or cities bordering the Baltic Sea (e.g. Gedser, Trelleborg, Klaipeda, Ust-Luga, St. Petersburg). Every week, 30 block trains between Rostock and Duisburg, Wels, Verona and others, enable combined traffic to Central and Southern Europe.
The so-called “Motorways of the Sea“ (EU water-highways) run between Gedser/Trelleborg and Rostock to Mecklemburg-Hither Pomerania. As a consequence, in the future, modern ferries on the way to Gedser will be equipped by the highest technical standards and at the same time make it possible to double cargo capacity. Apart from economical, this will also bring ecological advantages for the transport between Scandinavia and Central Europe. Moreover, the ports Sassnitz, Rosock and Wismar can establish themselves as base and resupply station for the Baltic Sea's off-shore wind parks.
Capital: Hanover
Area: ca. 47,613 km²
Population: ca. 8 m.
GDP per capita: 28,306 EUR
Locations (neighbouring states/ EU-countries): centrally located in Germany and Europe: good geographical location in terms of traffic, and direct link to the national and international main streets.
Key industries: automotive, logistics, aerospace, energy, food, life science, shipping, engineering, agritechnical engineering and agriculture
Number of employees in logistics: ca. 220,000
Very good connections thanks to a good network of logistical hubs: unique density of seaports with individual trade competences. JadeWeserPort – container terminal Wilhelmshaven, which will soon be Germany's only deep-water port, multi-functional inland ports, freight villages with ideal trading conditions, dense network of terminals for combined traffic and direct access/connections to leading airports for airfreight in Northern Germany. Diverse and extensive logistical competences on the part of the companies, and suitable business locations in the best areas.
A freight village of 160 ha is constructed directly behind the terminal of the JadeWeserPort. The JadeWeserPort Wilhelmshaven is Germany's only tide-independent container deep-water port with a depth of 18 meters and 4 berths for the world's biggest ships. A shipping logistics cluster of international importance and dimension is created and provides settlers and forwarders an infrastructure that is unique to Northern Europe: tri-modal, efficient and fast. The JadeWeserPort has a 16-track forwarding group, a KV-Terminal with 6 tracks and a direct connection to the highway without traffic lights.
Capital: Düsseldorf
Area: 34,098 km²
Population: 17.8 m.
GDP per capita: 31,893 EUR
Location (neighbouring states/EU-countries): Lower Saxony, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate (together about 18 m. people) The Netherlands, Belgium (together about 27.6 m. people)
Key industries: chemistry, engineering, metal production and processing, food and beverages, automobile, metal ware, electronics, plastics, logistics
Number of employees in logistics: 615,000
North-Rhine Westphalia (NRW) is the economical and logistical heart of Germany. Here, a dense consumer market (17.8 m. people) comes together with a strong logistics industry. Half of the top 10 logistics companies are based in NRW. At the same time, NRW has Europe's most dense traffic network and is connected to Western European seaports via the Rhine – Europe's largest waterway. NRW is the leader in logistics research and its so-called efficiency cluster logistics Ruhr is involved in the biggest research project worldwide regarding all future topics of logistics.
NRW's strength is its capacity to provide specific solutions for all areas of logistics. What stands out is Duisburg's port – the largest inland port worldwide – where a strong logistics hub, especially for imported goods, has formed. In 2011, 2.5 million TEU were traded at Duisburg's port. Another, important location is Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN). This is where UPS has built their European airfreight base, and also DHL and FedEx benefit from the excellent logistical infrastructure in North-Rhine Westphalia for the import of goods.
Capital: Mainz
Area: 1,985,406 ha
Population: ca. 4 m.
GDP per capita: ca. 26,900 EUR
Location (neighbouring states/ EU-countries): States: North-Rhine Westphalia, Hesse, Baden- Wuerttemberg, Saarland
Countries: France, Luxembourg, Belgium
Key industries: chemistry, automobile and automobile suppliers, engineering, metal industry, pharmaceutics, viticulture
Number of employees in logistics: ca. 100,000
Rhineland-Palatinate provides an efficient traffic infrastructure for all carriers and a broad range of offers for all kinds of logistics. Special focus lies on manufacturing and trade logistics, complex automobile logistics and logistics services. Quick access to all economic centres of Europe is granted by what is the most dense network of wide and supraregional streets in Germany, as well as the waterways Rhine and Mosel, important European railway tracks and the low-cost airport Frankfurt-Hahn.
The international low-cost air freight hub Frankfurt-Hahn has succeeded in becoming one of the five biggest German air freight airports. Airlines and various companies value the runway of 3,800 meters in length, which holds a 24h operating license, offers competitive prices as well as a good connection to transportation roads to transborder hinterland. Apart from regular freight, thanks to its technical equipment, the airport Frankfurt-Hahn enables the trade in special freight with large-capacity aircrafts, making the location all the more attractive.
Capital: Saarbruecken
Area: 2,569.69 km²
Population: 1,014 m.
GDP per capita: 30,059 EUR
Location (neighbouring states/ EU-countries): Central position within Europe – borders with France and Luxembourg. Most of Europe is within 24-hour reach.
Key industries: automotive, steel, IT, nano-technology, medical engineering, call centres, logistics, renewable energy
Number of employees in logistics: 20,000
Top logistics performances, its central geographical position in Europe and an excellent infrastructure make Saarland an internationally recognised logistics site. Experienced logistics service providers in Saarland are known for their expertise regarding France and Western Europe, as well as their innovative approaches to all logistical challenges. Logistics is one of Saarland's key competences. Years of experience in the automobile industry guarantee the adherence to schedules and profound know-how.
Profiles and contacts of Saarland's service providers can be found here: www.logistik.saarland.de
Via Saarland's Dachser Euro-Hub, access to all targets within Europe is guaranteed within 24-48 hours. As one of Europe's leading logistics service providers, with more than 17,500 employees in 306 locations worldwide, Dachser covers procurement and distribution logistics, meaning an integration of transport, warehousing, and value-added services. Many companies benefit from the most important logistical hub in Überherrn for their European logistics. More area is acquitted at the time, so that an additional 180 ha of land will be available throughout Saarland by 2013.
Capital: Dresden
Area: 18,419.83 km²
Population: 4,137,051
GDP per capita: 22,970 EUR
Location: Poland, Czech Republic
Key industries: automobile, engineering and plant manufacturing, micro electronics/ ICT, environment- and energy technology, logistics, life sciences
Number of employees in logistics: ca. 95,000
The region around Leipzig is Germany's most dynamic logistics location and one of Europe's top five. The DHL hub Leipzig operates from Leipzig/Halle airport – Europe's most modern airfreight hub. In the closer area, surrounding the BMW and Porsche automobile production sites, are companies such as Schnellecke Logistics, DB Schenker and Kühne+Nagel as contract logistics providers and module suppliers. Education and research are conducted by the Leipzig School of Commerce and the University of Applied Sciences for technology, business and culture. Fields of research are, for example, IT-supported logistics, production/logistics or green logistics.
Capital: Magdeburg
Area: 20,446 km²
Population: 2,317,416
GDP per capita: 21,636 EUR (as of 2010)
Location (neighbouring states/EU-countries): Centre of Germany, surrounded by Lower Saxony, Thuringia, Saxony, Brandenburg
Key industries: automotive, engineering and plant manufacturing, renewable energies, logistics, life sciences, chemistry, plastics
Number of employees in logistics: 26,650
11.000 kilometres of modernised streets are available for freight transport. A modern traffic infrastructure connects Saxony-Anhalt with pan-European roads. 600 kilometres of navigable waterways connect 18 ports and transshipment points. Magdeburg's port is the largest inland port of Central Germany and provides a tri-modal container terminal for combined traffic. 3,100 km of railway tracks constitute one of the world's most dense railway systems. The airport Leipzig/Halle is the second-largest air freight hub in Germany.
There is a modern tri-modal container terminal for combined traffic in Magdeburg's port. From the airport Leipzig/Halle – the European DHL distribution hub – 58 airports in 34 countries in four continents are approached around the clock, 365 days of the year.
Capital: Kiel
Area: 15,799 km²
Population: 2,834,259
GDP per capita: 25,967 EUR
Location (neighbouring states/EU-countries): Denmark, overseas: Bordering countries of North and Baltic Sea
Key industries: renewable energies, health management, tourism, shipping
Number of employees in logistics: 116,000
Its position between North and Baltic Sea makes Schleswig-Holstein a central connecting point, providing access to German, European and world markets. No other location has a more direct connection to international ports and airports, direct access to North and Baltic Sea, or such efficient highway or railway connections to north-south and east-west traffic. The North-Baltic-Canal, as the world's most frequented artificial waterway, connects crucial markets of the North Sea and Baltic region.
In the future, all trade routes to Scandinavia, especially between the metropolitan regions Hamburg and Malmö-Kopenhagen, will be shortened thanks to a traffic project of European significancy: an 18 kilometre path between Fehmarn and Denmark - to be opened in 2021. The envisioned coastal highway A20 optimises the hinterland connection of German seaports and thus enables a closer link of the countries bordering North and Baltic Sea. Thereby, Schleswig-Holstein strengthens its strong position as Northern European logistics hub.
Capital: Erfurt
Area: 16.200 km2
Population: 2,3 m.
GDP per capita: 21,608 EUR
Location (neighbouring states/EU-countries): geographical centre of Germany and Europe
Key industries: automobile and supply industry, optic technologies, engineering, medical engineering, food industry, logistics
Number of employees in logistics: ca. 15,000
Companies such as IKEA, Panasonic, Zalando, Redcoon (Media Markt/Saturn) have their European logistics centres in Thuringia.