Leipzig Claims a Top Spot in the Financial Times' fDi Magazine
Leipzig is once again in the Top 10 in the "European Cities and Regions of the Future" ranking of the British fDi Magazine, a Financial Times investment product. In 2020, Leipzig is 7th in the "best large city for human capital and lifestyle" category. The category winner was Hamburg, which was ahead of Gothenburg (Sweden) and Lyon (France).
Leipzig was able to maintain its high position from the previous ranking in 2018. Hamburg, Stuttgart and Frankfurt were the only other German cities ranked ahead of Leipzig. Dresden was awarded 8th place, with Nuremberg and Cologne followed in 9th and 10th place respectively.
"This prestigious recognition once again highlights how much potential and interest there is in Leipzig as an investment hub. Our strengths lie in our combination of increasing economic power, innovative excellence and high quality of life. No other city is experiencing such dynamic growth and attracting so many young and well-educated people. Leipzig has been recognised as one of the top European cities in this category and I'm proud that we were able to convince the fDi jury once again," said Michael Körner, Managing Director of Invest Region Leipzig, about the results.
In order to remain a key player in its category, the City of Leipzig is pursuing a holistic approach to its growth strategy with a focus on the ecological, social and economic growth of the Leipzig region. Leipzig is the driving force for the entire region and generates broad-scale growth and development through regional cooperation:
The Integrated Urban Development Concept INSEK Leipzig 2030, a strategic concept for business and labour, includes objectives such as the expansion of diverse and stable economic structures, the promotion of protected areas and real estate policy, and the improvement of positive framework conditions for jobs.
Leipzig's strategy aims to supplement this concept and aid the successful development of the business hub for companies, research and academic institutions, citizens and the Leipzig region.
Invest Region Leipzig GmbH (IRL), a subsidiary company, was established in 2014 and is responsible for the sustainable growth of the entire region. The cooperation between the City of Leipzig and the neighbouring districts of Leipzig and northern Saxony is a unique concept within Germany. IRL is pursuing a coordinated and sustainable strategy to attract direct foreign investment. It focuses on marketing the region and attracting investors. Other subsidiaries involved in the strategy are the Unternehmensgründerbüro Leipzig, which provides support to company founders during the start-up, planning, financing and growth phases, and the Leipziger Gewerbehofgesellschaft, a joint project from the City, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce and the Chamber of Trade. It provides commercial properties for lease for small and medium-sized enterprises.
The City Office for Digitisation supports and helps shape the region during this digital switchover. It is in charge of developing guidelines, defining interfaces and promoting the networking of internal administrative areas with the City of Leipzig, the urban community, academics and businesses. The department implements interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral projects and drafts its own grant applications for national and European funding.
This holistic networking approach enables the City of Leipzig and its surrounding areas to accelerate growth, drastically reduce the unemployment rate, increase business tax revenues and improve cooperation between the entities involved.
This year's fDi survey, which forms the basis for the ranking, involved 319 cities and 148 regions. The results from the European Cities of the Future 2020/21 survey were published in the current edition of the fDi magazine. The fDi carries out the study every two years.