Berlin to go, english edition, 02/2016

CONTENTS CONTENTS NEWS

CONTENTS CONTENTS NEWS TO GO Capital in the Lead 5 Berlin’s Economy Continues to Grow DISCUSSION: BERLIN GOES INTERNATIONAL Berlin Products Make it Big in the World 8 Stronger Together: Innovation and Tradition Waves of Entertainment 10 TUI Cruises Relies on Show Programs “Made in Berlin” Behind the Scenes at the BMW Group Plant Berlin 12 An Interview with Berlin Plant Head Dr. Marc Sielemann Eyeglasses from Berlin are Booming 14 Economic Success Stories in the Optician Sector From High-Tech to Everyday Helper 16 Berlin is the Birthplace of Many of the Things around Us STARTUP Sounding Out Market Opportunities 24 Start Alliance Berlin Brings Startup Cities Together Coworking Spaces in Berlin 25 Where Digital Nomads Work Together Guardian Angel for Art Treasures 26 ArtGuardian’s High-Tech Sensors Protect the Irreplaceable BERLIN GOES Startup Meets Grownup 28 Pop-up-Lab Tours Germany and the World POINT OF VIEW A Look at Treptow-Köpenick 30 Life, Work and R&D in a Green Environment SERVICE Next Stop: The Global Market 20 Berlin Partner Helps Companies Expand LOCATION Technologie-Park Humboldthain 22 Where Industry Meets Science CLUSTER E-Mobility: Globally Connected 33 eMO Berlin an International Role Model PROFILE Michael Hapka 34 The Man Who Brings the Stars to Berlin Illustration: Red monkey / shutterstock.com 4 BERLIN TO GO

NEWS TO GO CAPITAL IN THE LEAD Berlin is a role model when it comes to being a leading location for FinTech or in the realm of “green” innovations – and employment figures point to a strong economy Unemployment Rate under Ten Percent Good news from the labor market: on May 31, 2016, the regional director of the Federal Employment Agency in Berlin and Brandenburg announced that the unemployment rate in Berlin in May was 9.7% – 1.1 percentage points lower than in May 2015. A total of 181,166 unemployed persons were registered in May 2016 at Berlin’s employment agencies and 12 job centers. This marks the first time since German reunification that Berlin was able to crack the 10 percent hurdle. Source: Federal Employment Agency in Berlin and Brandenburg €200 Million for Small and Medium- Sized Businesses “SME Offensive 2016” was the motto behind the second Berlin Business Development Day in early April this year. Several Berlin companies attended the event to find out more about the many funding opportunities offered by the Senate Department for Economics, Technology and Research and the Investitionsbank Berlin. The event focused primarily on how the Berlin Senate can support companies in their transition to digitization and in following Germany’s “Industry 4.0” policy. Roughly €200 million will be available as part of the SME Offensive in the coming two years. Source: Senate Department for Economics, Technology and Research Green Oasis The countdown to the 2017 International Garden Exhibition (IGA) is on. The IGA provides the perfect framework to showcase Berlin’s “green” side and its strong economy to an international audience. In order to creatively showcase the capital’s economic vitality, Berlin Partner is co-initiating the Berlin “Company Garden Competition” 2016. The competition is designed to acknowledge and honor the commitment of Berlin-based companies who go beyond prioritizing economic success to also take on responsibility for the environment by implementing sustainable natural resource policies. Among the initiators of the competition are the IHK Berlin, Berlin Partner and the Berlin-Brandenburg Federation of German Landscape Architects (BDLA). Source: Berlin Partner Photos: iStock.com / xijian BERLIN TO GO 5