Automotive industries
Bremen - a long-standing centre of automotive production
Bremen can look back on a long history as an automotive city. The first car plant in Bremen opened in 1906, and its first customer was none other than Kaiser Wilhelm II.
Bremen has always been a successful location for the automotive industry. The Mercedes-Benz plant in Bremen is the largest private employer in the region. Currently, eight models are manufactured at the site. As the lead plant for the C-Class, the Mercedes-Benz plant in Bremen directs the worldwide production of the model series in the foreign plants in China and South Africa. Production of the GLC is also managed from Bremen as the main production site. The all-electric sedan EQE and the iconic sports car SL are built in Bremen.
The car terminal in the port of Bremerhaven, the region's pioneering role in electromobility, and the outstanding research that is currently being done at the city's universities make Bremen an ideal location for investment in the automotive sector.
Bremen has established itself as a centre of excellence for the automotive industry and can report a number of success stories in this field. Its strong and efficient automotive network comprises more than 40 suppliers, while around 17,000 people work in the industry across the Bremen region.
Bremeninvest created the Bremen Hansalinie Industrial Estate as a centre for Bremen's automotive suppliers. Its direct links to the motorway and to the Mercedes-Benz plant in Bremen make it an optimum location for the vehicle manufacturing industry. Bremeninvest is also helping companies to apply for funding from the German government and the EU.
The Automotive Nordwest network brings together manufacturers, suppliers and organisations involved in research and training. It aims to raise the region's profile as a centre of excellence for the automotive industry and also to strengthen business relationships. The network's members benefit in particular from the sharing of information and knowledge at events, meetings, forums and workshops.
Automotive Nordwest works across the industry as a platform for communications and collaboration in the Bremen region.
- BIAS Bremen Institute for Applied Beam Technology
- BIBA Bremen Institute for Production and Logistics
- BIME Bremen Institute for Mechanical Engineering
- DFKI German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence
- FIBRE Bremen Fibre Institute
- IFAM Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials
- IMSE Institute for the Development of Mechatronic Systems
- IWT Bremen Institute for Materials Technology
Success Stories
Photo gallery: 10 models made at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Bremen
No fewer than 10 Mercedes-Benz models proudly bear the seal 'Made in Bremen'. They range from standard saloons to sports cars and SUVs. Which one do you like best?
Learn moreBremen's Economy in Figures: 2024 Statistics
A look at the statistics on Bremen's economy in 2024 reveals: Germany's smallest federal state has a lot to offer. An overview of the industrial and service sectors with the most important current figures.
Learn moreBremen is one of Germany’s leading industrial hubs
Bremen is Germany’s sixth-largest industrial hub in terms of revenue. Whether the sector is aerospace, food, automotive, shipping or steel production, Bremen has always been a major player.
Learn more