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Medicine & Health // Copyright Shutterstock Alexander Raths

MEDICINE & HEALTH

The healthcare industry is one of Freiburg’s most innovative economic sectors. All of the relevant life sciences and healthcare industry disciplines are represented: biotechnology, the pharmaceutical industry and medical technology, as well as inpatient and outpatient healthcare institutions, the main one being the University Medical Centre Freiburg. In the field of medical technology in particular, Freiburg boasts an above-average number of companies developing innovative products and services.

With around 14,000 employees, the University Medical Centre Freiburg is one of the largest of its kind in Germany and the biggest employer in the region. Freiburg also helps the Upper Rhine region take Germany’s top spot in the field of health management: around 60,000 people (22 %) are employed by the numerous institutions, research facilities and companies, with 35,000 in Freiburg alone. Health tourism is booming as a result. With around 10.5 million overnight stays a year, of which 1.6 million are in Freiburg, the region is the most popular German travel destination and has a growing proportion of health-related travel.

State-of-the-art medicine and entrepreneurship meet environmental awareness and a high standard of living in Green City Freiburg. ‘HealthRegion Freiburg’ is unique in every respect – especially well-suited for a perfectly networked congress on medical or healthcare-related topics.

Green City Freiburg, view of the solar community // Copyright FWTM Schoenen
Green City Freiburg, view of the solar community // Copyright FWTM Schoenen

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

In Germany, Freiburg takes on the role of the environmental pioneer – in theory and in practice: Freiburg was selected as the environmental capital back in 1987, as the federal capital for the protection of nature and the environment in 1992, and as Germany’s most sustainable city in 2012. Freiburg won the national Klimaaktive Kommune 2018 competition, while the circular town hall received the DGNB award for sustainable construction in 2018.

Environmental politics, solar technology, sustainability and climate protection are the driving forces of the economic, political and urban development, which garners attention from an international audience. Science and the economy work in close partnership, for example at the Sustainability Center Freiburg, which is a collaboration between the University of Freiburg and the Fraunhofer Institutes. 

Sustainability plays a special role in Green City Freiburg. With a 12,000-strong workforce in 2,000 companies, this sector contributes around EUR 650 million in value creation and plays a decisive part in the image of Green City Freiburg. In the solar industry alone, over 2,000 people are employed at 100 companies – three to four times more than the national average. 

Green City Freiburg is the ideal location for congresses focusing on environmental and sustainability issues. As well as featuring conference locations that are suitable for ‘green’ meetings, Freiburg also offers a large audience of specialists from industry and research. Local research clusters will provide you with fascinating collaboration partners and speakers for your congress.

Stryker Leibinger location Freiburg // Copyright FWTM Gensheimer
Stryker Leibinger location Freiburg // Copyright FWTM Gensheimer

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

In Freiburg and the surrounding region, general and applied research focusing on innovative future technologies is strongly encouraged. The leading sectors are life sciences, medical technology, microsystem technology, IT and robotics, interactive materials, nature-inspired materials and sustainable technical systems. With five Fraunhofer Institutes and around 2,500 employees, Freiburg is the largest Fraunhofer location in Germany – ahead of Berlin and Dresden! The application-based research carried out by the institutes and the high output of innovations make a considerable contribution to the competitiveness of systems and technology-focused clients in the region. 

The density of global market and technology leaders is correspondingly high, along with the number of hidden champions and the strong services sector, which shape Freiburg’s SME economic structure. The focus on future-oriented growth sectors as well as the systematic support for innovative ideas (for example through the Freiburg Innovation Prize) have given the southern Baden research hub many substantial advantages over international competition. 

Freiburg university library // Copyright Tack
Freiburg university library // Copyright Tack

EDUCATION, SCIENCE & RESEARCH

Freiburg is a traditional university city and, thanks to its membership of the tri-national research association EUCOR, it is a scientific environment with a global reach. The region’s education, science and research sector comprises around 150,000 people, from research and teaching staff to trainees. 34,000 students, of which 5,000 come from abroad, are enrolled at the six higher education institutions. The many academic and non-academic research institutes are important drivers and partners for science and technology-based companies, especially start-ups – which are often spin-offs from research projects.

Economy, science and research // Copyright FWTM Öffnet Video in Overlay
Economy, science and research // Copyright FWTM Spiegelhalter

Business Location Video

As a ‘city of science’, Freiburg has evolved more dynamically than most other research hubs in Germany. This is evident in the growing number of residents, skilled job vacancies and its economic strength. Important contributing factors are the expansion of the natural and applied sciences and the arrival of application-based research institutes and innovative companies. This is a development that the surrounding area and the region also benefit from and that has been inextricably linked with the southern Baden city for centuries.

The foyers offer extensive exhibition space for specialist conferences // Copyright FWTM
The foyers offer extensive exhibition space for specialist conferences // Copyright FWTM

ARE YOU PLANNING A CONGRESS OR A CONFERENCE?

We’re happy to help – Green City Freiburg is ideal for congresses on the topic of innovative technologies. Freiburg offers a large audience of specialists from the fields of science, research and industry. Local research clusters will provide you with fascinating collaboration partners and speakers for your congress. 

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