Germany is the UK’s largest export market with Europe and the second largest globally, outside the U.S. The country prides itself on its high efficiency and productivity – paired with a world-class education system making Germany a desirable choice for international trade.

What better occasion is there than the celebration of 50 years of partnership between the cities and Birmingham and Frankfurt/Main to talk about exporting to Germany? Consequently, on 17 November, Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) together with the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and Frankfurt Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) hosted a free business breakfast for small and medium sized enterprises.

The event was designed for companies looking to learn more about the German market and understanding key sectors which include but are not limited to automotive engineering, medical technology and energy and environmental technology. The keynote speaker for the event was Eric Menges, President & CEO of FrankfurtRheinMain GmbH

  Delegates had the opportunity to:

• Hear directly from the representation in Frankfurt
• Gain an insight and knowledge into why Frankfurt / Germany is a desirable trade destination
• Understand key opportunities
• Gain understanding of the business cultural differences between the two markets

Paul Faulkner, CEO of Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce opened the session. The event then continued with representation from Sunny Clare from Enterprise Europe Network, an expert on the opportunities in Germany Sven Riemann, Head of Marketing Services at the German-British Chamber of Industry & Commerce, and Gerti Willis, Communication and Culture Adviser, from the Department for International Trade.