A premier location for the aerospace industry
The foundation for the region’s development was laid in the early 20th century by pioneering entrepreneurs like Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin and Claude Dornier. Zeppelin airships and the advent of motorized airplanes – an experimental technology at the time – led to a global fascination for flying that continues to be felt to this day and is a pillar of regional expertise in aerospace engineering.
The companies at home in the area range from multinational corporations like Airbus, Diehl, Liebherr Aerospace and Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik to numerous small and medium-sized businesses – which as specialists in their chosen field are preferred suppliers both in Germany and internationally.
Innovations by these “hidden champions” constantly provide fresh impetus for the industry as a whole. The expertise concentrated here goes hand in hand with a profound understanding of the market, giving rise to a steady stream of startups, many of them also in other industries such as IT or electronics. Institutions like the ESA Business Incubation Center, or ESA-BIC for short, on the Airbus site in Immenstaad offer valuable support. Visionary incubators thus have the freedom they need to transform space technologies into business models.
Europe’s most advanced satellite integration and space technology center was likewise built on the Airbus site in Immenstaad. The “Regional Innovation and Technology Transfer Center” in Friedrichshafen, commonly abbreviated to RITZ, acts as a center of excellence for digitalization and future mobility.
“The zeppelin doesn’t just thrill those who watch it floating up there in the sky. It’s also a symbol of the Lake Constance district’s role as the birthplace of the aerospace industry. In more than a century of aviation history, the Lake Constance region has evolved into one of the industry’s main hubs in Germany. One in every two jobs in aerospace in the State of Baden-Württemberg is here on Lake Constance. Today, around 8000 people at over a hundred companies are helping to make this key sector of the German economy even more competitive with their pioneering achievements.”
Diversified industrial infrastructure
The strength of the aerospace industry in the Lake Constance region means it is also significant for other companies and institutions operating in a variety of fields and that their activities are influenced by it.
The AERO, Europe’s leading trade show for general aviation, is an annual event at Friedrichshafen Exhibition Center.
Bodensee-Airport Friedrichshafenis an important element of the regional infrastructure with benefits for the entire business community.
Two museums, the Dornier Museum and the Zeppelin Museum, are devoted to the history of aviation and space travel in the Lake Constance area.
Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University offers specialization modules in “Aerospace Electronics” and “Aerospace Systems” at its Friedrichshafen campus. With its the dual approach, the university is closely geared to the real needs of business enterprises.
All in all, the Lake Constance aerospace region – what we call BodenseeAIRea – is the ideal place for both companies, research & educational institutions and qualified specialists to thrust ahead with innovative ideas and enjoy lasting success.
