sponsored motoring europa 7651369 ----- # Hamburg offers so much for British business ## British firms keen to do business in Germany will find everything to like in this thriving port. ![Hamburg - Europa Cup - Seat][1] Grand scale: Hamburg is an attractive city of wide open spaces, parks and historic buildings Paul Bray 11:58AM BST 29 Apr 2010 The thousands of Fulham fans flocking into Hamburg to witness their side's UEFA Europa League final against Atletico Madrid tonight will meet with a warmer welcome than they might expect. True, Fulham dashed the home team's championship hopes in the semi-finals. But Hamburg's trading links with England go back a long way (744 years to be precise), and Hamburgers have always had a soft spot for their Anglo-Saxon cousins. ![Hamburg port - Europa Cup - Seat][2] Hamburg is built around a centuries-old port "Hamburg has very strong affinities with Britain, and if you're not a Hamburger the next best thing here is to be British," explains Wendy Sprock, a British chartered accountant and freelance translator who has lived in the city for 20 years. This special relationship translates into hard cash. In 2008 UK exports to the Hamburg area were worth £3.2bn, while trade in the opposite direction totalled £1.9bn. Hamburg is one of the world's top 10 ports and the largest in northern Europe, and a quarter of all Germany's sea trade with the UK passes through it. "Hamburg Metropolitan is one of the most competitive regions in Europe, and the port of Hamburg is the engine driving its success," says Malcolm Scott, director general of UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) in Germany. "Some 4.3 million people live and work in the region, at the interface of major European transport axes between Scandinavia, west, east and southern Europe. It has the best infrastructure, a skilled workforce, innovative companies and research institutes, and a high quality of life." ## Related Articles * [Business opportunities in Madrid][3] 12 May 2010 * [Opportunities for UK companies in Lille][4] 18 Mar 2010 * [Business opportunities in Lisbon][5] 08 Apr 2010 * [Romania: A country that's fast off the Bloc][6] 24 Feb 2010 Aerospace is a major industry, with around 300 companies in the supply chain and Airbus alone employing 11,000 people, which means there are good opportunities for UK firms, says Mr Scott. Some of Hamburg's traditional industries, such as oil and media, are slowly migrating elsewhere. But others are taking their place, says Dr Rainer Giersch, the regional chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce in Germany (BCCG). "Hamburg is rapidly developing its life sciences cluster, and is the home of Norgenta, the north German life science agency," he says. "What's not so well known is that the city is also very focused on developing new media such as electronic gaming, and a lot of interesting new technology is coming out of this sector." Adds Mr Scott: "Gamecity Hamburg is a Germany-wide network with 1,600 members whose aim is to develop this sector -- rich in opportunities for UK firms with the right competencies." Back in the real world, Hafencity (harbour city), a multibillion-euro docklands redevelopment similar to those in London and Liverpool, offers great opportunities for British investors, says Mr Scott. Renewable energy is another important sector, says Dr Giersch. "Hamburg has ambitions to be the green capital of Europe by 2012, so UK companies in the renewable energy field should definitely be looking here." Physically speaking, Hamburg is already green. "Everybody expects a port to be ugly, but it's a very beautiful city, with lots of green space and water," says Mrs Sprock (the city has more bridges than Amsterdam and Venice combined). "The atmosphere here is quite relaxed and Scandinavian, and the reasonable property prices mean people can afford to live quite close to the centre." About 120 UK firms have subsidiaries in Hamburg, including BP, Unilever and Cunard. English is widely spoken in business circles, and there's "a sort of Britishness" about the city, says Dr Giersch. But successful exporters may have to adapt to the German way of doing business. "Punctuality is very important, and if you say you're going to do something you'll be expected to do it," says Dr Giersch. "Don't raise expectations you can't meet, because if you mess up, the deal will fall through. And reputation is very important: if you damage your reputation it's often very difficult to get it back." Germans definitely don't deserve their reputation for humourlessness, says Mrs Sprock (although they've heard all the hamburger jokes). "But here in the north people can be quite reserved and it can be difficult to break the ice," she says. "They're not keen on small talk and they like to get down to business. But they're very straight, and although legal contracts can be detailed there's very much a 'gentleman's agreement' culture." There is plenty of help and encouragement for UK firms interested in sharing Hamburg's prosperity, from bodies such as the Hamburg Business Development Corporation (HWF) and the local chamber of commerce as well as UKTI and the BCCG. Yet despite this, and the city's centuries-old ties with Britain, its potential as an export market remains unfulfilled. "I still don't think UK firms realise just how much trade they could do with the region," says Mr Scott. **_The Seat Exeo - Driving green ambitions_** Hamburg aims to establish itself as the green capital of Europe in just two years' time, making it the focus for British companies in the field of renewable energy. Concern for the environment makes an attractive choice of the stylish new SEAT Exeo too. Advances in both petrol and diesel engines have produced a powerful yet highly efficient car. Diesel models (120PS and 143PS), for example, give combined fuel economy of 53.3mpg. Offering an exhilarating performance across trim levels S, SE, Sport and SE Lux, the quality-build Exeo takes affordable executive-class motoring in a thrilling new direction. Challenging every aspect of traditional car design, SEAT has produced a saloon and an estate that are both handsomely fit for purpose -- and, with prices from £18,765, great value for money. Better still, residual values are a robust 30pc after 60,000 miles, according to CAP. Standard equipment includes dual-zone climate control, as well as integrated Bluetooth and cruise control. One of many reasons why the SEAT Exeo is firmly in the lead. **[The SEAT Exeo ][7]** **[SEAT Fleet and Business Sales][8] ** **[The SEAT Exeo ST ][9]** [X][10] Share & bookmark Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz [What are these?][11] * Share: [Share][10] [ ][12] [ ][13] [Tweet][14] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/motoring/europa/7651369/Hamburg-offers- so-much-for-British-business.html Telegraph ## [Europa][15] * ### [Sponsored »][16] * ### [Motoring »][17] [X][10] Share & bookmark Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! 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