Recently some of the world’s largest companies are expanding to and in Germany’s much-maligned East. So what advantages does this part of Europe’s largest economy offer, and is the latest spate of FDI likely to last?

Intel, TSMC and Tesla are just three of the commercial giants that are increasing their business by expanding to the eastern part of Germany. Unlike former spurts of investment in the regions that used to be Communist East Germany, growth this time around seems more organic and likely to last. Indeed, it’s no exaggeration to say that the economic map of Germany is being redrawn. We speak to an expert on business in the region and one of the companies benefitting from going east.

Our Guests:
Martin Ledwon is vice president of stakeholder relations at UPM Biochemicals in the city of Leuna. The company is a new division of Finland’s biofuel pioneer UPM, and the plant being built in eastern Germany will produce chemical products from wood stocks to be used in place of chemicals from fossil fuels.

Silke Poppe is Germany Trade and Invest’s expert on Germany’s eastern regional states and other areas undergoing structural change. She travels around the world promoting investment through GTAI’s Internationalization of Regions in Structural Transformation program, and oversees other business development programs for the east, including Taskforce Transformation.

Video link audio credit to NDR
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