BAVARIAN TOP CLUSTER TRIUMPHS IN BERLIN

BUSINESS BAVARIA

With 23 Bavarian agencies worldwide, the Free State has a denser network of foreign representatives than any other Federal State. The traditional annual meeting of the economic ambassadors was held in Munich in February.

ISSUE 03 | 2012

BUSINESS BAVARIA

5 MINUTES WITHDr. Valentin Kahl, Founder and Managing Director of ibidi GmbH

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IN FOCUS: BAVARIA’S FOREIGN REPRESENTATIVESBuilding Bridges with Vision

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BAVARIA IN YOUR BRIEFCASEEaster in Bavaria –Exemplary Eggs

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BAVARIA IN THE WORLD

The Bavarian expert network has expanded with impressive momentum. The fi rst Bavarian repre-sentation was set up in Tokyo as long ago as 1988. Today, more than 20 ambassadors on four con-

tinents are successfully consulting with foreign enterprises interested in Bavaria as a business base. In 2011, numerous companies once again chose the Free State (see number of the month). Local expertise and industry specifi c knowledge are key for these excellent fi gures. In order to maintain this momentum, the representatives of the branch offi ces meet in Munich every year. They exchange experiences and information about the latest developments in the Free State, from possible funding opportunities for international

businesses to new approaches in research and technology policy. This year, the programme fea-tured a visit to the Life Science Campus in Mar-tinsried near Munich where the representatives were able to see one of Europe’s most successful biotech bases for themselves.

Bavaria’s competence centres maintain their success. For its innovation con-cept, the MAI-Carbon cluster - an industry network across Munich, Augsburg and Ingolstadt - was named one of the top fi ve clusters nationally by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research. MAI-Carbon‘s objective is the continued development of technological leadership in the mass production of carbon fi bre components. Over a period of fi ve years, the plastics cluster can access a total budget of EUR 40 million from the German Government‘s subsidies programmes. The companies involved will match the amount. MAI-Carbon consists of 68 companies, education and research institutions as well as organisations, working with ‘carbon fi bre-reinforced plastics (CFRP)’ - the

material which is gaining increasing signifi cance in the automotive and avi-ation industries. Under the motto ‘Germany’s Top Cluster - More Innovation - More Growth - More Employment’, the competition was introduced in 2007 and is now a fl agship of the high-tech strategy of the German Government. Two Bavarian clusters have already won: the Franconian medicine cluster Me-dical Valley EMN with headquarter in Erlangen and the biotech cluster m4 in Munich.

www.carbon-composites.eu

The Business Promotion Agency of the State of Bavaria

WHAT'S INSIDE

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This is how many investment projects Invest in Bavaria successfully completed in 2011, which is an increase of 15% on the previous year. Most of the foreign enterprises supported are from China (approxi-mately 19%) and the USA (roughly 18%). Broken down by sector, ICT companies are at the top with 22%, followed by the Renewable Energy

86(about 14%) and the Energy Engineering sectors (approximately 12%). The total number of new jobs created as a direct result of the projects in 2011 exceeded 3,600. Invest in Bavaria cooperates closely with the Bavarian foreign representatives when supporting investment projects.

The Munich-based ibidi GmbH was created to develop and market systems for the simple and cost-effective analysis and diagnostics of live cells. The analytical steps are thereby performed on a micro-slide (µ-slide). The company, based at the Innovation Centre Biotechnology Martins-ried, has already received several awards, most recently at the end of 2011 with the ‘Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Award’, where the company was the only business in the life science / bio-technology sector to feature on the list of the fastest growing technology enterprises in Germany.

EVEN AT ITS INCEPTION IN 2003, IBIDI GMBH RECEIVED THE BAVARIAN START-UP AWARD. WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT YOUR CHIPS? The special feature of the µ-slides is the possibility to analyse live cells in near ‘in vivo’ conditions. For example, mammalian cells can be grown on micro-structured cell biochips. This enables complex pro-blems in fundamental, clinical and pharmaceutical research to be examined and solved.

CAN YOU GIVE AN EXAMPLE?It is possible to examine the behaviour of entire groups of cells. This is important in understanding the growth of various cancers, as well as auto-immune and cardio-vascular diseases at the mole-cular level and in developing successful long-term treatments.

YOUR COMPANY IS LISTED AMONG THE ‘KEY NANOTECHNOLOGY ENTERPRISES’ IN MUNICH. HOW IS YOUR METHOD USED IN NANOTECHNOLOGY? Our µ-slides are currently used in combination with so-called ‘super-resolution’ techniques. This allows structures within a cell, which are below the optical resolution limit, to be visualised in the nanometre range.

HOW DID THE TECHNICAL POSSIBILITY BE-COME A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS MODEL? During my PhD studies at the Technical University of Munich I developed the basic idea of using high-quality optical plastics as microscopy sample car-riers. Shortly after the company’s foundation, the possibility of using them for live cell analysis was then developed as a core application.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE INNOVATION CENTER BIOTECHNOLOGY (IZB) AS YOUR LOCATION?There are only a few places where so many custo-mers are within ‘walking distance’. We cooperate with numerous companies which also have their head offi ces in the IZB. The proximity to the Max-Planck Institutes, the Technical University and the LMU Munich has already led to several joint pro-jects being successfully completed as well.

www.ibidi.de

DR. VALENTIN KAHL,

FOUNDER AND MANAGING DIRECTOR OF IBIDI GMBH

Small size - great impact: µ-slide

NUMBEROF THE MONTH

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5 MINUTES WITH ...

They assist in the search for a location, obtain important business con-tacts and often make investments in Bavaria possible in the fi rst place. With expert assessment and good contacts, 23 Bavarian foreign repre-sentatives convince enterprises to set up branches in the Free State. Stereotypes quite often prove to be a locational advantage.

BUILDING BRIDGES WITH VISION

Lederhosen, beer and mountains – these are the three terms Fedor Khorohkor-din frequently hears when asking Russian entrepreneurs what they associate with the Free State. The Bavarian representative in Moscow has long known that such an image is no disadvantage. “These positive stereotypes help us to educate investors that Bavaria is also a genuine high-tech location and a model state”. Since 2010, Khorohkordin has been supporting businesses from the Russian Federation intending to establish branches in Bavaria.

In 22 countries ranging from China to Romania and India to Brazil, represen-tatives support companies to set up subsidiaries in the Free State. “We know how important it is that foreign investors fi nd a partner in their home country. On the one hand, he is familiar with their needs and on the other, he un-derstands the commercial potential of Bavaria” states Dr. Ulrike Wolf, Head of the Department of Foreign Trade and Location Marketing in the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, to outline the basic idea behind the concept of representation.

The Free State of Bavaria was the fi rst German Federal State to open its own representative offi ce in Moscow in 1995. Much has happened since then: “The relations between Bavaria and Russia are no longer one-way”, states Khorohkordin. More than 60 Russian companies such as Kaspersky Lab, Opto-gan and the LSR Group trust Bavaria as a high-tech location and have already set up shop in the Free State. They come from a diverse range of industries - IT, logistics, services, construction and microsystems technology. Before com-panies make their fi nal decision about 2,000 km away from Munich, Khoroh-kordin outlines the economic opportunities and potential offered by the Free State, fi nds business contacts and helps with insider knowledge during the foundation phase of the company. Of course, Bavaria’s economic representa-tive also maintains the tradition of Bavarian socialising: the Moscow offi ce regularly invites representatives from politics and economics to round-table events such as the ‘Meeting under Bavarian Flag’.

On the other side of the world, ambassadors of the Free State are equally active. “A healthy research and development sector, good infrastructure, qua-

lifi ed specialists as well as secure conditions for investments – this is what Americans appreciate about Bavaria”, comments Wolfgang Hübschle, Head of the Bavarian Foreign Offi ce in New York. In 1996, the Bavarian representa-tion was created on the East Coast and since then many US companies have implemented their projects in Bavaria. To date, a total of about 850 American companies have set up branches in the Free State.

Many of the companies which Hübschle and his colleague Lucie Merkle of the San Francisco offi ce help to achieve their goals in Bavaria, come from IT, business services and media and lately also increasingly from the energy sector. Like his Russian colleague, Hübschle appreciates the advantage of stereotypes: “The Oktoberfest and sports cars which are not restricted to a speed limit” - these are the images many of his customers associate with Bavaria. “Even if the many other facets of Bavaria are being omitted, it helps to link the brand Bavaria with a positive concept”, explains Hübschle.

As well as establishing contacts with possible partners or industry clusters, he also attaches importance to establishing a strong rapport. “Our assis-tance is important to prevent intercultural misunderstandings when doing business”, says Hübschle. There are often immense differences in business culture: “Americans take many more risks and are faster than the Germans”.

Companies which are already established in Bavaria can continue to profi t from the service of the Bavarian foreign representatives; for example, if they want to tap new markets from the Free State. Assistance with export is ano-ther important task undertaken by Hübschle, Khorohkordin and their colle-agues.

The fact that the ambassadors provide both business and cultural assistance is also an important aspect in Asia. Christian Geltinger, Head of the Bavarian Foreign Representation in Tokyo, advises his customers: “The assistance of native employees and friends should defi nitely be requested before dressing in traditional costumes or when learning about the proper consumption of Bavarian specialities”.

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YOU CAN FIND AN OFFICE OF A BAVARIAN FOREIGN REPRESENTATIVE NEAR YOU AT:

www.invest-in-bavaria.de/bayerische-repraesentanzen

W W W. I N V E S T- I N - B A V A R I A . C O M

IN FOCUS: BAVARIA’S FOREIGN REPRESENTATIVES

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Easter in Bavaria starts on Palm Sunday, one week before the actual Easter celebration. This year, Palm Sunday falls on 1 April and it is worth paying a visit to the small Lower-Bavarian market town of Kösslarn on this day. Idylli-cally situated on the picturesque rolling hills of the spa triangle, Bad Füssing, Bad Griesbach and Bad Birnbach, the people of Kösslarn still parade through their village in an impressive procession, just as they did over 500 years ago.

FAIRS & EVENTS

IMAGE SOURCES P. : Portrait Foto Herr Kahl: © Foto: Christoph Vohler | P. 3: Leder-hosenspringer: © lube / photocase.com | P. 4: Ostereier: © antikarium - Fotolia.com

… IN MUNICH

INTERNATIONAL CRAFTS FAIR14 – 20 MARCH 2012

www.ihm.de/en/home

AVIONICS & DEFENCE ELECTRONICS EUROPE 21 – 22 MARCH 2012International Exhibition and Conference for the Commercial and Defence Aerospace Industries

www.avionics-event.com

… IN NUREMBERG

HOLZ-HANDWERK 21 – 24 MARCH 2012 European Trade Fair for Machine Technology, Equipment and Supplies for the Wood Crafts

www.holz-handwerk.de/en

... IN AUGSBURG

GRINDTEC 14 – 17 MARCH 2012 International Trade Fair for Grinding Technology

www.grindtec.de/en

EASTER IN BAVARIA – EXEMPLARY EGGS

Festive times of the year are the best occasions to really get to know a country, its people and traditions. During Easter, you can experience the deep links between traditional rural culture and magnifi cent folk art in many places.

The Palm Procession custom is a reminder of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, where he was welcomed by people with palm branches. As there are certainly no palms in Kösslarn, pasture and evergreen branches are plaited into so-called palm bushes. In Kösslarn, some of these bushes are metre-high structures decorated with multi-coloured ribbons, which both young and old inhabitants use to accompany the procession.

On Sunday 25 March, the Easter Market in the Amberg City Museum is also worth a visit. Here no one egg resembles the other. The imagination of the numerous egg artists from near and far, seems to know no bounds. Everything can be found here: goose, chicken and duck eggs, decorated in the most varied of techniques – batik painting, scraped, embroidered, engraved or covered in ornaments. Many exhibitors have on-site demonstrations showing how they manufacture their intricate works of art. Ancient Upper Palatine craft art like basket weaving is also presented. In addition, there is an Easter Zoo in the museum courtyard. With live donkeys, sheep, lambs, goats, chickens and of course Easter bunnies, this is an event that will be enjoyed not just by child-ren, but by the whole family.

EASTER MARKET IN THE AMBERG CITY MUSEUM25 March 2012

www.stadtmuseum.amberg.de

EASTER MARKET IN OBERALTEICH10 / 11 March 2012

www.bogen.de

… BY AND WITH INVEST IN BAVARIA

INVEST IN BAVARIA ON THE NAB SHOW16 – 19 April 2012 in Las Vegas, USA

Your contact:Mr. Peter EnglertPhone +49 89 24210-7520peter.englert@invest-in-bavaria.de

BAVARIAN-FRENCH NET-WORKING EVENT WITH PANEL DISCUSSION ON THE TOPIC ‘NEW ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES’29 March 2012 in Munich, Bavaria

Your contact:Mrs. Meike JäckelPhone +49 89 24210-7512meike.jaeckel@invest-in-bavaria.de

BAVARIA IN YOUR BRIEFCASE

YOUR KEY TO OUR STATEInvest in Bavaria – The Business Promotion Agency of the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology and Bayern International.

PUBLISHERDR. JOHANN NIGGLPRINZREGENTENSTR. 2880538 MÜNCHENPHONE.: +49 89 24210-7500FAX: +49 89 24210-7557INFO@INVEST-IN-BAVARIA.COM

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