Berlin to go, english edition 1/2015
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NEWS TO GO<br />
Proud of their city<br />
<strong>Berlin</strong> residents take a positive view of the increasing<br />
number of <strong>to</strong>urists and the city’s general<br />
popularity. According <strong>to</strong> a recent survey by visit-<br />
<strong>Berlin</strong>, 94 percent of city residents enjoy living in<br />
<strong>Berlin</strong> and 85 percent feel neither trammelled nor<br />
bothered by <strong>to</strong>urists. 88 percent of <strong>Berlin</strong> residents<br />
are proud that people from across<br />
the globe are interested in<br />
visiting their city.<br />
pho<strong>to</strong>s: iS<strong>to</strong>ck/Kerrick, Coloures-pic, ldprod – Fo<strong>to</strong>lia.com<br />
Capital of innovation<br />
In 2013, <strong>Berlin</strong>-based companies generated around 11 billion<br />
euros, or 14 percent of their revenues, from new products. This<br />
means that with 1.6 percent the proportion of innovation in<br />
<strong>Berlin</strong>‘s overall commercial activity again grew faster than the<br />
national average (0.2 percent). These figures are documented<br />
in the “2014 <strong>Berlin</strong> Innovation Survey” published in March by<br />
the Technologiestiftung <strong>Berlin</strong>.<br />
New products constituted a particularly high proportion of<br />
aggregate turnover in equipment and vehicle manufacturing<br />
(46.9 percent) and in the electronics industry (43.5 percent).<br />
Not only did <strong>Berlin</strong>-based companies earn more revenue from<br />
new products, they also spent more on innovation (8.1 percent<br />
compared <strong>to</strong> the national average of 6 percent).<br />
Beacon city <strong>Berlin</strong><br />
<strong>Berlin</strong>, <strong>to</strong>gether with Paris and Bologna, has responded <strong>to</strong> the<br />
EU’s Smart Cities Call and must now demonstrate that it’s ready<br />
<strong>to</strong> be a “beacon city” by developing proposals on how it can<br />
become a fully networked city and shift <strong>to</strong> more sustainable<br />
forms of energy and transportation. Should Brussels award<br />
<strong>Berlin</strong> the contract, 7 million euros in funding from the Horizon<br />
2020 EU research project would flow in<strong>to</strong> the capital city.<br />
<strong>Berlin</strong>’s contribution envisages setting up a network<br />
of smart urban neighborhoods along a smart axis.<br />
This would involve retrofitting buildings for greater<br />
sustainability and operating them with greater<br />
energy efficiency through constant data exchange.<br />
In addition, electric vehicles and innovative<br />
infrastructure would provide residents<br />
with eco-friendly mobility.<br />
A decision is expected in<br />
Oc<strong>to</strong>ber.<br />
BERLIN TO GO 7
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