Spotlight on Bavaria | Monocle
Monocle worked with Invest in Bavaria for piece about the investment opportunities in the German city. Marketing messages aside, I did take note of some points the video brought up regarding what a forward-thinking and constantly innovating city makes.
Dr. Wolfgang Hübschle, Executive Director, Invest in Bavaria:
If you’re in the innovation business, proximity still matters. Locating to Bravria, you can locate many companies within a 3 hour radius. Along the Autobahn A8 access, almost 60% of German patent applications are done. So you can reach a lot of clients in your proximity.
Insights into what makes Bavaria tick as a place for innovation, business and industry
- Highly-skilled workforce
- Heritage of entrepreneurship
- Proximity to other industries and markets
- Infrastructure and Connectivity
- Quality of Life
One thing that did stand out was the mention of quality of life. Often overlooked, it is a soft pull-factor that can attract talent. I also aegree with Monocle’s stance that culture is a soft foreign policy power, and that more governments should enable and grow what’s happening in the grassroots to maintain both a healthy mix of mainstream and alternative citizens. Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to make this a quantifiable metric, and I believe that it should also be the responsibility of culture growers to bridge the gap with government and regulation.
Matt Alagiah, Monocle:
We decide not to move to cities, not because of their annual GDP growth figures, but because of the restaurants, bars and cultural hotspots they offer. It’s also about the ease with which we can immerse ourselves in nature.