NGlobal Magazin 01-2010

Hannover is not only the capital of Niedersachsen, but also the capital of research

Niedersachsen Global www.nglobal.de Places 65 Capital Impact In business matters, Hannover is an all-rounder — the capital of Niedersachsen   is an industrial location, a services centre and a market place, and it also hosts  the biggest trade fairs in the world.  Photo: istockphoto petences and strengths in the fields of manufacturing, logistics, science, research and culture. Competence in Technology World-famous companies such as TUI, Bahlsen, Ko- matsu-Hanomag, Solvay, Sennheiser electronic, Kind hearing aids and Rossmann are based here. In the au- tomotive industry Hannover is home to a number of technological leaders, such as Volkswagen Commer- cial Vehicles, Continental and Wabco. Automotive is still the most important industrial branch in Hannover. More than 30,000 people are employed in this sector. With this service, Hannover belongs to the top five locations in Germany. The Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Transporter (VWN) factory at Hannover-Stöcken is the biggest employer in the region and operates a huge plant at the north- ern edge of town, alongside the Mittellandkanal and Motorway A2. Together with a plant of German tire and automobile parts manu- facturer Continental AG they own a coal-burning power plant. Continental AG, founded 1871 in Hannover, is one of the major companies in town even if there’s a takeover in process: The Schaeffler Group from Herzogenaurach (Bavaria) holds the majority of the stocks but, due to the crisis had to deposit the options as se- curities at banks. Hannover is a location which is, in terms of energy and CO2 efficiency, concerning in research, development, production and application without equal throughout Europe. For 175 years, Hannover has been in a leading position in the field of en- ergy supply. Over 1,200 companies with 23,000 employees guarantee Hannover’s role as an IT location of the premium class—and during the globally renowned Ce- › Numerous creative enterprises hammering out new ideas ensure that the transfer of high technology to industry thrives.