1. BUSINESS BAVARIA The Business Promotion Agency of the State of Bavaria
ISSUE 03 | 2012
WHAT'S INSIDE
5 MINUTES WITH
Dr. Valentin Kahl, Founder and Managing
Director of ibidi GmbH
Page 2
IN FOCUS: BAVARIA’S
FOREIGN REPRESENTATIVES
Building Bridges with Vision
Page 3
BAVARIA IN YOUR BRIEFCASE
Easter in Bavaria –
Exemplary Eggs
Page 4
BAVARIA IN THE WORLD
With 23 Bavarian agencies worldwide, the tinents are successfully consulting with foreign businesses to new approaches in research and
Free State has a denser network of foreign enterprises interested in Bavaria as a business technology policy. This year, the programme fea-
representatives than any other Federal base. In 2011, numerous companies once again tured a visit to the Life Science Campus in Mar-
State. The traditional annual meeting of chose the Free State (see number of the month). tinsried near Munich where the representatives
the economic ambassadors was held in Local expertise and industry specific knowledge were able to see one of Europe’s most successful
Munich in February. are key for these excellent figures. In order to biotech bases for themselves.
maintain this momentum, the representatives of
The Bavarian expert network has expanded with the branch offices meet in Munich every year.
impressive momentum. The first Bavarian repre- They exchange experiences and information about
sentation was set up in Tokyo as long ago as 1988. the latest developments in the Free State, from
Today, more than 20 ambassadors on four con- possible funding opportunities for international
BAVARIAN TOP CLUSTER TRIUMPHS IN BERLIN
Bavaria’s competence centres maintain their success. For its innovation con- material which is gaining increasing significance in the automotive and avi-
cept, the MAI-Carbon cluster - an industry network across Munich, Augsburg ation industries. Under the motto ‘Germany’s Top Cluster - More Innovation
and Ingolstadt - was named one of the top five clusters nationally by the - More Growth - More Employment’, the competition was introduced in 2007
Federal Ministry for Education and Research. MAI-Carbon‘s objective is the and is now a flagship of the high-tech strategy of the German Government.
continued development of technological leadership in the mass production Two Bavarian clusters have already won: the Franconian medicine cluster Me-
of carbon fibre components. Over a period of five years, the plastics cluster dical Valley EMN with headquarter in Erlangen and the biotech cluster m4 in
can access a total budget of EUR 40 million from the German Government‘s Munich.
subsidies programmes. The companies involved will match the amount. MAI-
Carbon consists of 68 companies, education and research institutions as well www.carbon-composites.eu
as organisations, working with ‘carbon fibre-reinforced plastics (CFRP)’ - the
W W W. I N V E S T- I N - B A V A R I A . C O M PA G E 1

2. 5 MINUTES WITH ...
DR. VALENTIN KAHL,
FOUNDER AND MANAGING DIRECTOR OF IBIDI GMBH
The Munich-based ibidi GmbH was created to develop and market systems for the simple and
cost-effective analysis and diagnostics of live cells. The analytical steps are thereby performed
on a micro-slide (µ-slide). The company, based at the Innovation Centre Biotechnology Martins-
ried, has already received several awards, most recently at the end of 2011 with the ‘Deloitte
Technology Fast 50 Award’, where the company was the only business in the life science / bio-
technology sector to feature on the list of the fastest growing technology enterprises in Germany.
CAN YOU GIVE AN EXAMPLE?
It is possible to examine the behaviour of entire
groups of cells. This is important in understanding
the growth of various cancers, as well as auto-
immune and cardio-vascular diseases at the mole-
cular level and in developing successful long-term
treatments. WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE INNOVATION
CENTER BIOTECHNOLOGY (IZB) AS YOUR
YOUR COMPANY IS LISTED AMONG THE LOCATION?
‘KEY NANOTECHNOLOGY ENTERPRISES’ IN There are only a few places where so many custo-
MUNICH. HOW IS YOUR METHOD USED IN mers are within ‘walking distance’. We cooperate
Small size - great impact: µ-slide
NANOTECHNOLOGY? with numerous companies which also have their
Our µ-slides are currently used in combination head offices in the IZB. The proximity to the Max-
EVEN AT ITS INCEPTION IN 2003, IBIDI with so-called ‘super-resolution’ techniques. This Planck Institutes, the Technical University and the
GMBH RECEIVED THE BAVARIAN START-UP allows structures within a cell, which are below LMU Munich has already led to several joint pro-
AWARD. WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT YOUR the optical resolution limit, to be visualised in the jects being successfully completed as well.
CHIPS? nanometre range.
The special feature of the µ-slides is the possibility www.ibidi.de
to analyse live cells in near ‘in vivo’ conditions. For HOW DID THE TECHNICAL POSSIBILITY BE-
example, mammalian cells can be grown on micro- COME A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS MODEL?
structured cell biochips. This enables complex pro- During my PhD studies at the Technical University
blems in fundamental, clinical and pharmaceutical of Munich I developed the basic idea of using high-
research to be examined and solved. quality optical plastics as microscopy sample car-
riers. Shortly after the company’s foundation, the
possibility of using them for live cell analysis was
then developed as a core application.
86
NUMBER
OF THE
MONTH
This is how many investment projects Invest in Bavaria successfully (about 14%) and the Energy Engineering sectors (approximately 12%).
completed in 2011, which is an increase of 15% on the previous year. The total number of new jobs created as a direct result of the projects
Most of the foreign enterprises supported are from China (approxi- in 2011 exceeded 3,600. Invest in Bavaria cooperates closely with the
mately 19%) and the USA (roughly 18%). Broken down by sector, ICT Bavarian foreign representatives when supporting investment projects.
companies are at the top with 22%, followed by the Renewable Energy
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3. IN FOCUS: BAVARIA’S FOREIGN REPRESENTATIVES
BUILDING BRIDGES WITH VISION
They assist in the search for a location, obtain important business con- lified specialists as well as secure conditions for investments – this is what
tacts and often make investments in Bavaria possible in the first place. Americans appreciate about Bavaria”, comments Wolfgang Hübschle, Head
With expert assessment and good contacts, 23 Bavarian foreign repre- of the Bavarian Foreign Office in New York. In 1996, the Bavarian representa-
sentatives convince enterprises to set up branches in the Free State. tion was created on the East Coast and since then many US companies have
Stereotypes quite often prove to be a locational advantage. implemented their projects in Bavaria. To date, a total of about 850 American
companies have set up branches in the Free State.
Lederhosen, beer and mountains – these are the three terms Fedor Khorohkor-
din frequently hears when asking Russian entrepreneurs what they associate Many of the companies which Hübschle and his colleague Lucie Merkle of
with the Free State. The Bavarian representative in Moscow has long known the San Francisco office help to achieve their goals in Bavaria, come from IT,
that such an image is no disadvantage. “These positive stereotypes help us business services and media
to educate investors that Bavaria is also a genuine high-tech location and a and lately also increasingly
YOU CAN FIND AN OFFICE OF
model state”. Since 2010, Khorohkordin has been supporting businesses from from the energy sector. Like his
A BAVARIAN FOREIGN
the Russian Federation intending to establish branches in Bavaria. Russian colleague, Hübschle
REPRESENTATIVE NEAR YOU AT:
appreciates the advantage of
www.invest-in-bavaria.de/
In 22 countries ranging from China to Romania and India to Brazil, represen- stereotypes: “The Oktoberfest bayerische-repraesentanzen
tatives support companies to set up subsidiaries in the Free State. “We know and sports cars which are not
how important it is that foreign investors find a partner in their home country. restricted to a speed limit” -
On the one hand, he is familiar with their needs and on the other, he un- these are the images many of his customers associate with Bavaria. “Even if
derstands the commercial potential of Bavaria” states Dr. Ulrike Wolf, Head the many other facets of Bavaria are being omitted, it helps to link the brand
of the Department of Foreign Trade and Location Marketing in the Bavarian Bavaria with a positive concept”, explains Hübschle.
Ministry of Economic Affairs, to outline the basic idea behind the concept of
representation. As well as establishing contacts with possible partners or industry clusters,
he also attaches importance to establishing a strong rapport. “Our assis-
The Free State of Bavaria was the first German Federal State to open its own tance is important to prevent intercultural misunderstandings when doing
representative office in Moscow in 1995. Much has happened since then: business”, says Hübschle. There are often immense differences in business
“The relations between Bavaria and Russia are no longer one-way”, states culture: “Americans take many more risks and are faster than the Germans”.
Khorohkordin. More than 60 Russian companies such as Kaspersky Lab, Opto-
gan and the LSR Group trust Bavaria as a high-tech location and have already Companies which are already established in Bavaria can continue to profit
set up shop in the Free State. They come from a diverse range of industries - from the service of the Bavarian foreign representatives; for example, if they
IT, logistics, services, construction and microsystems technology. Before com- want to tap new markets from the Free State. Assistance with export is ano-
panies make their final decision about 2,000 km away from Munich, Khoroh- ther important task undertaken by Hübschle, Khorohkordin and their colle-
kordin outlines the economic opportunities and potential offered by the Free agues.
State, finds business contacts and helps with insider knowledge during the
foundation phase of the company. Of course, Bavaria’s economic representa- The fact that the ambassadors provide both business and cultural assistance
tive also maintains the tradition of Bavarian socialising: the Moscow office is also an important aspect in Asia. Christian Geltinger, Head of the Bavarian
regularly invites representatives from politics and economics to round-table Foreign Representation in Tokyo, advises his customers: “The assistance of
events such as the ‘Meeting under Bavarian Flag’. native employees and friends should definitely be requested before dressing
in traditional costumes or when learning about the proper consumption of
On the other side of the world, ambassadors of the Free State are equally Bavarian specialities”.
active. “A healthy research and development sector, good infrastructure, qua-
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4. BAVARIA IN YOUR BRIEFCASE
EASTER IN BAVARIA – EXEMPLARY EGGS
The Palm Procession custom is a reminder of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a
donkey, where he was welcomed by people with palm branches. As there are
certainly no palms in Kösslarn, pasture and evergreen branches are plaited
into so-called palm bushes. In Kösslarn, some of these bushes are metre-high
structures decorated with multi-coloured ribbons, which both young and old
inhabitants use to accompany the procession.
On Sunday 25 March, the Easter Market in the Amberg City Museum is also
worth a visit. Here no one egg resembles the other. The imagination of the
numerous egg artists from near and far, seems to know no bounds. Everything
can be found here: goose, chicken and duck eggs, decorated in the most varied
of techniques – batik painting, scraped, embroidered, engraved or covered in
ornaments. Many exhibitors have on-site demonstrations showing how they
manufacture their intricate works of art. Ancient Upper Palatine craft art like
Festive times of the year are the best occasions to really get to know basket weaving is also presented. In addition, there is an Easter Zoo in the
a country, its people and traditions. During Easter, you can experience museum courtyard. With live donkeys, sheep, lambs, goats, chickens and of
the deep links between traditional rural culture and magnificent folk course Easter bunnies, this is an event that will be enjoyed not just by child-
art in many places. ren, but by the whole family.
Easter in Bavaria starts on Palm Sunday, one week before the actual Easter EASTER MARKET IN THE AMBERG CITY MUSEUM
celebration. This year, Palm Sunday falls on 1 April and it is worth paying a 25 March 2012
visit to the small Lower-Bavarian market town of Kösslarn on this day. Idylli- www.stadtmuseum.amberg.de
cally situated on the picturesque rolling hills of the spa triangle, Bad Füssing,
Bad Griesbach and Bad Birnbach, the people of Kösslarn still parade through EASTER MARKET IN OBERALTEICH
their village in an impressive procession, just as they did over 500 years ago. 10 / 11 March 2012
www.bogen.de
FAIRS & EVENTS
… IN MUNICH … IN NUREMBERG … BY AND WITH INVEST IN BAVARIA
INTERNATIONAL HOLZ-HANDWERK BAVARIAN-FRENCH NET- INVEST IN BAVARIA ON THE
CRAFTS FAIR 21 – 24 MARCH 2012 WORKING EVENT WITH PANEL NAB SHOW
14 – 20 MARCH 2012 European Trade Fair for Machine DISCUSSION ON THE TOPIC 16 – 19 April 2012
www.ihm.de/en/home Technology, Equipment and Supplies ‘NEW ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES’ in Las Vegas, USA
for the Wood Crafts 29 March 2012 in Munich, Bavaria
AVIONICS & DEFENCE www.holz-handwerk.de/en
ELECTRONICS EUROPE Your contact: Your contact:
21 – 22 MARCH 2012 ... IN AUGSBURG Mrs. Meike Jäckel Mr. Peter Englert
International Exhibition and Phone +49 89 24210-7512 Phone +49 89 24210-7520
Conference for the Commercial and GRINDTEC meike.jaeckel@invest-in-bavaria.de peter.englert@invest-in-bavaria.de
Defence Aerospace Industries 14 – 17 MARCH 2012
www.avionics-event.com International Trade Fair for Grinding
Technology
www.grindtec.de/en
YOUR KEY TO OUR STATE PUBLISHER BUSINESS BAVARIA
Invest in Bavaria – The Business Promotion Agency of the Bavarian Ministry of DR. JOHANN NIGGL COORDINATION: ALEXANDRA SCHMIDHUBER
Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology and Bayern International. PRINZREGENTENSTR. 28 EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT: WWW.TEXTBAU.COM
80538 MÜNCHEN TRANSLATION: WWW.TRANSLATE-ME.INFO
IMAGE SOURCES P. : Portrait Foto Herr Kahl: © Foto: Christoph Vohler | P. 3: Leder- PHONE.: +49 89 24210-7500 ART DIRECTION | INTERNET: ALEX PODOLAY
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INFO@INVEST-IN-BAVARIA.COM
W W W. I N V E S T- I N - B A V A R I A . C O M PA G E 4