Berlin to go, english edition, 02/2019

EDITORIAL
DEAR READER,
“Berlin is more than a city, it’s a continent of its own.” These words, written by the German poet
and journalist Jean Paul more than 200 years ago, continue to be a fitting description of Berlin’s
cosmopolitan character, even today. Indeed, no other city in Germany has as much international
flair, with people from more than 190 nations calling the capital their home. It’s a diversity that
has also proven to be a tremendous asset to the Berlin economy.
Berlin-based companies with international business operations increasingly benefit from the
city’s multifaceted talent pool. Whether it’s a business strategist from China, a U.S. marketing
expert or a Portuguese native speaker able to handle service inquiries – Berlin is the place where
entrepreneurs can find the specialists they need to serve their target markets. The city has such
a great reputation that it’s easy to attract professionals from abroad, and it’s long since become a
place where creatives from all over the world dream of living and working. One look at the city’s
booming startup scene underscores this trend. Founders from all over the globe are choosing
Berlin as the location to develop their innovative products and also bring them to market. Of
course, the startup scene has a very global orientation as well: roughly 50% of employees at Berlin
startups come from abroad.
These days, the scope of Berlin’s global reach is growing even further. Thanks to the variety of
internationally renowned researchers hard at work here, the city is now a global player in a number
of scientific and business fields – one might even say that Berlin operates at an interplanetary
level (see page 14).
I’m proud to live in such a diverse, open-minded and cosmopolitan city – or “continent,” to use the
words of Jean Paul. And it’s true; very few other cities could produce all the fascinating success
stories featured in this current issue of Berlin to go.
Wishing you a pleasant read!
Sincerely,
Dr. Stefan Franzke,
CEO Berlin Partner
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