10 reasons for the region

You can get to your customers very quickly from South-West Palatinate. This is because the region is known for its good traffic connection and it is located in short proximity to the economic centres of Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Mannheim, Karlsruhe, Saar-Lor-Lux as well as Mainz/Wiesbaden. Nonetheless, the prices for real estate and commercial spaces are low. This saves expenditures for costs that businesses can invest profitably elsewhere.

Frankfurt International Airport, one of the busiest air traffic hubs in the world and Europe’s cargo airport number one, is barely 160 kilometres away from Pirmasens. The region even has its own airport, which is located in Zweibrücken.

The second largest domestic airport in Europe is located in Mannheim and Ludwigshafen, just 90 kilometres away from Pirmasens. Mannheim furthermore has the second largest railway hub in Southwestern Germany. The district itself is integrated in the rail network via the railway lines Landau – Rohrbach and Pirmasens – Kaiserslautern. Larger railway stations with connections to long-distance service can be found in the nearby cities of Homburg, Kaiserslautern and Neustadt/Weinstraße. Karlsruhe railway station, which can be reached in about one hour driving time from the south eastern part of the district, is even one of the most important intercity railway stations of Germany.

The District of South-West Palatinate is connected via motorways A 8 and A 62 as well as the state roads B 10, B 270, B 424 and B 427.

In South-West Palatinate, enterprises can find a good number of commercial spaces and properties in all sizes at fair prices.

Pirmasens is a well-known fair site, which offers top conditions with a total space of 20,000 square metres in seven halls. High-profile trade fairs are also hosted in the nearby cities of Saarbrücken, Karlsruhe, Frankfurt and Mannheim.

In Zweibrücken, a well-equipped congress centre with a festive ballroom hall is ready for conferences and events of any kind.

Every business needs motivated and well trained employees. In Western Palatinate, the Technical University Kaiserslautern and the University of Applied Sciences Kaiserslautern, with campuses also in Pirmasens and Zweibrücken, ensure that there are plenty of highly qualified professionals.

Owing to a future-oriented educational offer, there is no shortage of good ideas in South-West Palatinate. From childcare centre to university: innovative learning concepts are implemented at all stops along the road. Better results are achieved through close attention and a personal atmosphere. After all, success is based on knowledge.

The universities of the region, the Technical University Kaiserslautern, and the University of Applied Sciences Kaiserslautern, as well as numerous scientific institutions provide the creative input for business.

They also work on research focussing on applications at the juncture between science and business. The Faculty of Science and Transfer at the University of Applied Sciences are competent partners for businesses in cooperation and for securing technical staff. TU Kaiserslautern is also engaged in close contact with business.

Last but not least, University of Saarland, which can be reached in just forty minutes by car from Pirmasens, likewise offers diverse educational and research opportunities.

Business promotion is an executive matter in the District of South-West Palatinate. District Administrator Dr Susanne Ganster places great value on the unbureaucratic support for businesses. Miriam Heinrich, the Business Manager of Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft Südwestpfalz, is available for businesses and start-up founders as their permanent contact in all matters.

Innovative enterprises are in good company in South-West Palatinate. Many businesses from all kinds of industries have found their home here:

• Automotive and automobiles industry
• Construction trade
• Printing and paper industry
• Retail
• Healthcare
• Plastics and rubber industry
• Mechanical engineering
• Metal and wood processing
• Shoe industry
• Environment and energy management

Among them are also prestigious international companies, like Josef Seibel Group, which produces more than 6 million pairs of shoes per year, as well as highly creative companies such as Spheron-VR AG. It is the company that produces the worldwide unique digital panorama camera, which is used for example, in murder investigations and Hollywood films.

Everyone is welcome in South-West Palatinate. The region borders directly on France and is characterised by its cosmopolitan atmosphere. Western Palatinate is also home to the largest American military community outside of the USA.

South-West Palatinate is a region of short distances. Newly founded or established businesses profit from the intimate atmosphere, since it is important, especially in the beginning of an entrepreneurial activity, to find the right contacts and service providers as soon as possible.
 

People who live in South-West Palatinate benefit from the low costs of living and many recreational offers in a beautiful landscape. The great outdoors with their bizarre cliffs invite to rock climbing, hiking, bicycling and golfing. But also cultural enthusiasts get their money’s worth in South-West Palatinate. The metropolitan areas of Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, Mannheim, Frankfurt and Mainz/Wiesbaden with their vast cultural offers in addition can be reached conveniently in one to two hours by car. Shopping opportunities are found in the town centres of Pirmasens and Zweibrücken as well as the Shoe Mile in Hauenstein and the fashion outlets in Zweibrücken. Families benefit from the good offer of childcare spots, a diverse offer of schools and child-appropriate recreational activities. You can find more information on the homepage of the Local Family Alliance in the District of South-West Palatinate: www.familienfreundliche-suedwestpfalz.de