Tinkerers, entrepreneurs, and pioneers have always shaped the economy of Northern Black Forest. You have participated in making the region what it is today: a business location for medium-sized companies and market leaders in the midst of a unique landscape full of attractive leisure facilities and cultural offerings. Tinkerers full of tradition, creative developers, and successful pioneers settled in the Northern Black Forest Region and shaped the corporate landscape.
A Region of Medium-Sized Enterprises and Reference Market Leaders.
A whole range of highly specialized enterprises settled in the Northern Black Forest Region. They benefit from the existing competences and delightful landscapes together with attractive cultural and leisure time activities.
The region is dominated by medium-sized enterprises from the manufacturing industry: many traditional, owner-managed family enterprises could have led their businesses to become market leaders – not least due to a high standard of quality. It is not rare for companies of the region – even for small businesses – to have export rates over 50%. They offer not only products but also excellent services that are optimally tailored to the needs of their customers.
Universities and educational institutions of Northern Black Forest train specialized personnel. Five additional technology centers and incubators as well as transfer centers enable the region to build bridges between economy and science and as such, strengthen most of the medium-sized enterprises of the region. A network made up of communal economic developers, chambers of commerce and industry and handicrafts, universities, regional banks and saving banks, as well as the regional economic development agency provides a comprehensive support and service offering.
Situated between the industrial hubs of Stuttgart and Karlsruhe, the region consists of the districts of Calw, Freudenstadt, Enzkreis and the City of Pforzheim. It enables the region to connect and cooperate with renowned global companies. Two airports – Stuttgart and Karlsruhe – are located nearby. The extensive rail network allows for an easy transfer of goods. The proximity of the region to the borders of France and Switzerland offers a favorable condition for investment.
The business potential belongs to the greatest strengths of the region, particularly due to the wide range of skills covered by the owner-managed SMEs and craft businesses. These mostly internationally oriented companies are in many cases among the world leaders in their industries: this is why they can be classified as hidden champions.
The Regional Economic Development Agency of Northern Black Forest is also active at European level: close exchange with partners, mediation of contacts, and participation in cooperation projects. The WFG is currently participating in the ERASME project.
Industries with High-Level Competencies in Northern Black Forest.
To build complex installations, to produce systemic groups of components, and to integrate them into complex products: all this is easy for businesses and craftsmen from Northern Black Forest. Based on their long-standing experience and in-depth expertise in various areas as well as an efficient process technology, they offer customized solutions and real innovations.
With about 50,000 employees, the plastics sector through its manifold application areas is a major industry in Baden-Württemberg. In Northern Black Forest, over 500 enterprises and craft producers operate in the field of plastics technology.
The skills for medical and dental technology as well as the specialization in precision technology arose from traditional crafts and traditional jewellery and precision mechanics. The range of skills varies from endoscopy, implantology, and dental technology, to the production of medical devices.
For the metalworking industry, high-quality finishing and coating of materials are highly essential. The highly specialized enterprises in Northern Black Forest offer a wide range of coating technologies with a very broad technological diversity.
There are 131,000 hectares of forest in the Region Northern Black Forest: this is the ideal framework for a high concentration and specialization of industry and crafts in the field of forestry and forest products. Special purpose machinery manufacture is particularly very strong in the region and also generated global market leaders – in addition to a multitude of small and highly specialized companies.
The value-added chain in the field of metal processing is almost entirely represented in the Region Northern Black Forest. Upstream and downstream supply areas including segments such as tool manufacturing, pressing technology, and peripheries of manufacturing technology are evidence of a comprehensive industry expertise.
The WFG operates in the areas of “marketing”, “networks”, “innovation, qualified staff, and business founders”, “funding for businesses and municipalities”, as well as “service for municipalities”.
Westliche Karl-Friedrich-Straße 29-31
D-75172 Pforzheim
Phone +49 7231 154369-0
Fax +49 7231 154369-1
info(at)nordschwarzwald.de
