Regions in Competition

Germany’s regions compete with each other, and it is those in the south which have established the strongest positions. 88 of the 100 most successful regions are to be found in the states of Baden-Wurttemberg and Bavaria. By contrast, the catching up process in eastern Germany seems to have ground to a halt, with a mere ten of the 50 most dynamic regions to be found there. The 2014 IW Regional Ranking identifies indicators for important regional success factors. Its aim is to address relevant topics, to conduct region-specific analyses and to derive from these successful strategies which the regions can adopt to enhance their competitiveness.