Space tech tours in Bremen

A century of aircraft construction in Bremen – the story starts in 1924 with the company "Focke-Wulf- Flugzeugbau AG". It marks the beginning of one of the Hanseatic city's most important industrial sectors. In 2024, Bremen is celebrating "100 Years of Aircraft Construction" with a series of anniversary celebrations.

100 years of aircraft construction in Bremen - an impressive history full of top achievements. Airbus operates the second largest production site in Germany in Bremen on the site of the former Focke-Wulf Flugzeugbau AG. Bremen site manager Joachim Betker takes a look at the past, present and future.

Bremen has earned itself the title "City of Space". Some of the most important space projects of the past decades were launched into space with Bremen technology and knowledge. But who is behind them? A look at eight companies from the industry.

Reusable rockets, new space stations, shooting down asteroids and our own space port: the future is calling and Bremen's aerospace companies are answering, loud and clear. 11 projects support the drive to conquer space.

Science plays a leading role in Bremen: in the laboratories of the university, at one of the more than 50 research institutes or in the green botanika. There are many opportunities for visitors to experience science at first hand.

Tailor-made support to successfully bring your own idea to the market - or into space? That's possible in Bremen with the ESA BIC Northern Germany incubation programme. Start-ups from a wide range of sectors can apply. Inge Heydt from the Starthaus explains for whom the incubator is suitable and what is behind it.

According to recent statistics, the Hanseatic city of Bremen is Germany's greenest big city, with 60 square metres of green space per inhabitant. The many parks and green spaces in the city include world-class spaces, such as the Bürgerpark and the Rhododendron park, both of which are of German and even world renown. By its own account, Bremen is home to the world's largest collection of rhododendrons. Let's take a walk.

Catherine Rau finished her studies at ECOMAT and has now found a job at Airbus in Bremen. So she's now also encouraging other young professionals to consider working in the aviation and aerospace sector in Bremen.

Aviation "made in Bremen": The Airbus facility in Bremen extends over 450,000 square metres, or 63 football fields, and has a workforce of 4,100. Industrial performance at the highest level.

The greenest major city in Germany is Bremen - with an average of 60 square metres of sports, leisure and recreation space per person. Parks, sports facilities, but also water areas invite you to relax from the hustle and bustle of the city every day.

Anyone flying on vacation with an Airbus will almost certainly come into contact with products from the Bremen-based aviation supplier AES Elektro/Elektronik System GmbH. But they are not only to be found in vacation planes - even German Chancellor Olaf Scholz cannot do without them.

The gastronomy scene in Bremen's Überseestadt is incredibly diverse. Let us take you on a tour of the district's kitchens.

The federal state of Bremen is home to approximately 676,000 people on 420 square kilometres. Almost 22,000 companies provide more than 336,000 jobs. We present the strong sectors of Bremen as a business location.

The sky is not the limit. Science, production, development and business all agree on this. Aircraft wings, Ariane rockets, Galileo satellites - Bremen is one of the top locations in the international aerospace industry. Five reasons for Bremen's success story.

New in the airport city: CAE-GmbH trains pilots. "We have come to stay," says CAE Vice President European Strategy, Niels Kröning. And is thus continuing a long tradition.

At up to 5,000 degrees, a new smelter in Bremen produces alloys from high-strength titanium that are in demand worldwide. For the company behind it, this was a long-standing venture that is now paying off.

"It's basically a win-win situation," says Egbert van der Veen about the collaboration with the Northern Germany Innovation Office, which is supported by Bremeninvest. After one year, the Bremen-based satellite builder draws a positive balance - and wants to take an even bigger step across the Atlantic in the future.

It's primarily thanks to companies involved in the aviation and aerospace sector that Bremen is also known as the "City of Space". This article provides an introduction to ten companies in this sector.

In three years, aerospace technology from Bremen will take humans to the Moon. In addition to the propulsion and service module for the "Orion" spacecraft, which is part of the USA's human space flight programme, work is under way on a concept for an autonomous moon rover that will supply the future stations on the Moon.

Marcel Hesselmann is a young scientist who is currently researching how using innovative new materials can cut the cost of sending rockets into space. Working as part of the @ALL collaborative project, he's using the facilities at the ECOMAT research and development centre in Bremen to launch his professional career.

The Free Hanseatic City of Bremen is composed of two cities, namely the city of Bremen itself (population approx. 568,000) and the port city of Bremerhaven (population approx. 114,000). The two cities are 53 km apart, but together they comprise the German federal state that carries the official designation “Free Hanseatic City of Bremen.”

If you need to rotate a satellite in space, you will almost certainly be using technology from Bremen. The design is ingenious – and that is why practically every spacefaring nation on Earth has an important entry in its address book under the letter Z.

5G, the next generation of mobile data infrastructure, is waiting in the wings. The research project in Bremen 5GSatOpt aims to use space to expand the mobile data infrastructure to the furthest corners of the earth, with the help of constellations of small satellites.

Policies that boost innovation aim to support the ongoing structural change in industrial companies, SMEs and related service providers. Promoting promising technologies is a particularly important part of this. Some technologies feed into each other, ...

Before every city trip, I look online for pubs, where I can hear music that suits my taste. The search is not always easy. This has made me feel free to offer some tips for like-minded people at this point. And to point out the new Metal Festival, which starts this summer.

At the port in Vegesack, somewhat hidden behind a shopping centre, there looms an old warehouse building. It has been here for 200 years and has experienced a lot. Anyone who wants to know its history, and that of the people who were part of it, can return to 1845 on a scenic tour. I too allowed myself to be taken along and became acquainted with Anna Lange and her employees on the trip through time.

I’m in a bit of a hurry, but I just have to tell you about the bronze model of the old quarter that has appeared – much to my surprise – on market square. I had to have a quick look this morning on my way to work to check it out.

The ESA Business Incubation Centre (BIC) Northern Germany is a new beacon project for the aerospace sector in Bremen.

Every now and again, I go for stroll along the Schlachte Embankment. Bremen’s former harbour still provides moorings for ships and boats, and there’s quite a range of historical vessels here, from steamers to tall ships. So, I decided to take a closer look at them during my walk.

Bremen is and remains a port city. The annual figures for transshipments and number of vessels are impressive, even if the really large container vessels don’t dock here. Spreading along the Weser river, the vast docklands are now also used by companies that are not related to the maritime industries, and some areas are being converted for residential use. The Speicher XI Dockland Museum casts an eye on the developments over 130 years of harbour history to the present day.

The path into space begins in Bremen. Production on the upper stage of the Ariane 6, the latest generation of Europe’s launch vehicle, is set to start shortly next to Bremen Airport. The launcher is intended to guarantee Europe independent access to space.

The Schnoor quarter at the heart of Bremen is an absolute must for visitors, with its lovingly restored medieval architecture, winding lanes and wide array of shops, cultural attractions and places to eat.

Nowhere in Germany is bigger in the aerospace industry than Bremen. We spoke to Bremen-based scientists working on the space side of aerospace about their projects, their life in the city, and their tips on where to live and where to visit.

Every year, the movers and shakers of the space industry gather at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC). From 1 to 5 October, it will be Bremen’s turn to host the event. A team from the Center of Applied Space Technology and ...

The Viertel in Bremen is the liveliest quarter in the city. Ostertor and Steintor meet in the middle of the Viertel quarter, at the corner of Sielwall. Culture, subculture, party animals and true Bremen characters – the Viertel is nothing if not diverse. Let me show you!

The exploration of celestial bodies, such as Mars, Mercury and the moon, requires detailed geological maps. An international research project is now laying the foundations for this. Bremen-based geologist Dr Angelo Pio Rossi is one of the initiators of the data project.

The construction of the complex new EcoMaT research and technology centre at Airport-Stadt Bremen is at an advanced stage. Prospective tenants include Airbus and Testia, as well as a number of leading medium-sized businesses and scientific institutions. After the topping-out ceremony, work will get under way on the interior of the building.

Space is not just a man’s business. The global network Women in Aerospace (WIA) aims to increase women’s leadership opportunities and visibility in the space industry – also in Bremen. An interview with Antonella Sgambati und Michela Cantisani, coordinators of WIA Bremen.

Artificial intelligence isn’t just a matter of computer programming. It’s a challenging question: how can a robot successfully deal with real, unpredictable surroundings? For 30 years, solutions to this problem have been developed at the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI). This Bremen-based facility has been so successful that its employees are now founding their own company.

Bremen Airport-Stadt is an international transport hub and a centre of excellence for the aerospace industry and for research and learning. It occupies a leading position among Germany’s airport locations. Here are ten benefits that Bremen Airport-Stadt offers.

One day, astronauts will live and carry out research on the moon – and even a colony on Mars is no longer the distant utopian dream it once was. But how will people be able to live in an extraterrestrial environment? The Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity (ZARM) at the University of Bremen is working on a solution.

Fries are one of my great foodie passions, much to the detriment of my hips. So where in Bremen can you buy the best fries?

Space technologies have advanced greatly in recent years, leading to increasing demands from the business and research sectors. To meet these requirements, Bremen University now offers unique master’s degrees in Space Engineering and Space Sciences and Technologies.

Here she is, our brand-new sightseeing coach. During my maternity leave (did you miss me?!), I spotted her on the streets of Bremen a few times. But with a baby and all the accessories in tow, I never managed to get a picture.

If astronauts want to get all the way to Mars one day, they’ll need food supplies for the journey. Part of the solution could be to grow their own grains and bake bread themselves. Bremen start-up Bake in Space is on the verge of making this vision a reality.

The research alliance ROBEX is sending robots up active volcanoes and down into the deepest and darkest seas. Working across disciplines, the 120 scientists of the 16 institutes involved are breaking new ground on this project. They have been eagerly waiting to find out what has happened to the TRAMPER diving robot, which has been exploring the deep seas around Spitsbergen for a year. Now they are ready to bring it back.

For about a year now, Bremen has had a market hall. It isn’t really a covered market in the traditional sense though, but rather a gallery of food stalls and little restaurants that use regional produce and sustainable methods and invite you on a culinary journey around the world. I went to have a look around and found it hard to resist the temptation to have some of everything! The venue is called Markthalle Acht. It is located on Domshof square and offers a feast for all of your senses, not just the palate.

Hanseatic is a word that you will come across wherever you go in Bremen. Centuries ago, the city was part of one of the world’s most powerful trade alliances, whose members joined forces to make trading routes safer and pursue shared commercial interests. But what remains of this Hanseatic League? What remnants of this chapter of history can still be found in Bremen today? I embarked on a mission to find out more.

The multi-million-mile journey of the Ariane 5 rocket begins in Bremen, while that of Spacelab came to an end here in 1999, after 15 years of service with 22 missions to outer space. Ariane Group in Bremen is the ideal place to experience the history of space travel.

A great deal of manual labour goes into aircraft construction. Despite this – or perhaps even because of it – Airbus is changing its approach to make increased use of digital technologies. It’s also researching the applications of new manufacturing technologies such as 3D printing. And not a moment too soon, as Airbus’ site manager in Bremen, Dr André Walter, explains in our interview.

You want to go on a trip, but are short of money? Whether it's after work at the Schlachte, feasting in the Überseestadt or cycling out into the countryside - summer in Bremen puts you in a good mood. A holiday in the city on a budget? For those on a budget, you'll find lots of useful insider tips here.

In December 2016 ministers from the European Space Agency (ESA) member states met to determine the roadmap for the European space sector for the years ahead. Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Bremen submitted joint recommendations. In the following interview Dr Peter Vits, Bremen's State Coordinator for the Space Sector, talks about Bremen's strengths and opportunities.

In 2015 Bremen won the right to host the International Astronautical Congress for the second time, after having successfully held the event in 2003. Its bid was the result of a collaboration between the Bremen regional government and Bremen’s space industry and space research sector. Event partners include the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and the German Aerospace Centre.

When it comes to the sweet temptation of cocoa, Bremen is at the forefront. From fine craftsmanship in patisseries to well-known brands - chocolate has a special place in the Hanseatic city. And for special occasions, delicate melting can be perfectly combined with the right fine wines.

Sugar and spice and all things nice … Gingerbread bakers Manke and Coldewey are well stocked on all the usual ingredients with one exception – wheat flour. Their handmade Elisenlebkuchen are in fact gluten free. But that’s not all the Bremen manufacturer has to offer – far from it.

From time to time I find myself walking through the Schnoor quarter – and I always stumble upon Father Christmas, standing there smiling at me, chubby cheeks and all. Not just in winter, but in the height of summer too. I met up with him recently – in July.

The carillon in Böttcherstrasse is different. It’s unlike any carillon that I know of. And that fits in with Bremen. As I recently made my way through yet another throng of people enjoying the carillon in the small square in Böttcherstrasse, I thought to myself: I must have a closer look at those bells. No sooner said than done.