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 been a centre of automotive production for almost as long as cars have been around. The Mercedes-Benz plant, the city's biggest private employer, makes more than 400,000 vehicles every year (as at 2016) and is the main global plant for the C-Class range.
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.
Kai Stührenberg
Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Ports
Cluster manager Automotive, Industry 4.0
P +49 (0) 421 361-32173
Jörg Kautzner
Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Ports
Manager Logistics and Automotive
P +49 (0) 421 361-32172
Jutta Zernikow
Project manager Bremen Hansalinie Industrial Estate
P +49 (0) 421 9600-249
An engine under the bonnet drives the wheels – this is the configuration that has been powering cars for over a hundred years. However, wheel hub motors – i.e. motors in the hub of the wheel, not under the bonnet – promise many advantages. Electric drive systems make this possible.
The Bremen Hansalinie Industrial Estate is a successful business park that is currently undergoing expansion. Several major logistics companies have based themselves here, developing increasingly sophisticated processes that aim to optimise just-in-sequence production for the automotive industry.
A car plant seldom comes alone. Many suppliers have based themselves in close proximity to the automotive giant Mercedes Benz in Bremen. They ensure that the assembly line never stops. We demonstrates the wide range of companies and technologies that make up Bremen's automotive supply chain
