23 representations support the Bavarian economy round the world

MUNICH Since the mid-1990s, Bavaria has successfully maintained a presence in 22 major countries like the USA, Japan, China, Russia, Brazil or the United Arab Emirates with representative offices now totalling 23 in number. “Foreign trade is an important motor driving jobs, growth and prosperity in the State. That is why we support Bavarian companies wishing to develop new markets by providing them with a dense network of foreign representations all over the world. Even during the economic crisis, we did not abandon our policy of focusing on exports. This was, is and will continue to be the right course for our State“, Bavaria’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Martin Zeil, underscored at the annual meeting of foreign representatives in Munich.

“Our local ambassadors are valuable partners especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. They arrange important contacts, give advice and offer assistance in setting up business relations. In this way, we make it easier for our companies to take the big step into new sales markets, and we do this on a worldwide scale”, as emphasised by Bavaria’s Vice-Minister of Economic Affairs, Katja Hessel. But Bavaria is represented not just in distant markets like China, Russia and Brazil. “During the crisis, we decided to open up representations in Austria and Switzerland as well”, Zeil commented, and adding: “That was a good decision too, especially for small and medium-sized companies, because these two countries are important first markets for entering the export business. The hard work invested by the representations in Vienna and Zürich is being very well received.”

But the representative offices do not just make a major contribution to promoting Bavaria’s foreign trade. They also actively practise location marketing for Bavaria. Together with the ‘Invest in Bavaria’ Business Promotion Agency they seek to enhance Bavaria’s reputation as an international business location. “They acquire potential investors abroad and cater for their needs all the way from the very first ideas about expansion to finally setting up new facilities in Bavaria”, Zeil explained. In 2011, Invest in Bavaria successfully followed through and concluded more than 30 investment projects throughout Bavaria for interested companies from the USA, India, Japan, China and Canada in collaboration with the Bavarian representations in these target countries. On the other hand, the aim is that the representations will in future also proactively spark the interest of skilled workers in Bavaria. “As a high-tech location, Bavaria needs the best brains from all over the world. I am not just thinking here of highly qualified people from neighbouring European countries, but also of top staff from Germany and Bavaria, who are currently working abroad and some of whom may be thinking about returning home, which we would greatly welcome”, Zeil summed up.

Source: StMWIVT

Pressnumber: 48/12