Economy

Chemnitz lies at the centre of a successful industrial region with a rich tradition. Passion, ideas and the ingenuity of the people who live and work here are the backbone of our success. WE are world-class engineers and inventors: machinery, vehicles, microelectronics, sensors, intelligent textiles, new materials, software for automated driving – around nine billion euros of added value are generated by top-quality products, intelligent services and a good pinch of Saxon level-headedness.

Our 18,500 industrial enterprises and trade businesses are the foundation of our economy. They are proactive and determined, blaze their own trails, dare to try new things and pour their ingenuity into everything they do. It is this recipe that makes the city and its people so successful: Chemnitz gave birth to the Thermos flask, for instance, as well as the first mild laundry detergent for delicate fabrics, the Audi rings and stitch-bonding technology. Today the city not only produces outstanding machinery and production equipment, but microsystems, too. Chemnitz is the city of makers.

Every day, new ideas are generated in our start-up scene and networks of company founders. For these young companies, Chemnitz offers remarkable possibilities: a start-up centre has been established close to Chemnitz University of Technology, offering offices, labs and space to foster top-level research and spin-off companies locally. Our innovative university has already produced hundreds of start-ups, providing young professionals with interesting job opportunities.

Chemnitz University of Technology is a cosmopolitan university with strong links at a regional, national and international level. It is home to approximately 10,000 students from around 100 countries. In terms of the proportion of foreign students, Chemnitz University of Technology ranks among the top public universities in the country. Our grammar schools and vocational schools covering a range of disciplines complete our portfolio.

Saxon ingenuity has never been content to merely improve on the achievements of a glorious past and adapt them to current needs – it has always produced innovations and products for the future. Alongside successful local companies, 50 research and development organisations, including two Fraunhofer Institutes, supply this constant stream of innovative ideas. The most exciting current projects include the development of materials and intelligent systems, resource-efficient production, lightweight construction, sensor technology and textile research. Chemnitz provides new impetus for these promising fields of research.

This innovative environment will continue to provide the skilled workers and managers required in the region in the long term.

Chemnitz is an attractive city located in the heart of Europe – in the direct vicinity of our EU partners the Czech Republic and Poland. Investors value the well-developed infrastructure and fast connections from Chemnitz to Europe’s urban centres. Two international airports can be reached by car in one hour, and four others in around two hours. With DHL’s European air freight hub in Leipzig, companies in the region have a wide range of express shipping and logistics options in the local area.

The innovative Chemnitz model connects the national railway network and Chemnitz city centre with the local public transport system in the surrounding region. The digital infrastructure is also continuing to expand: well over three-quarters of Chemnitz residents and businesses already enjoy fast Internet access. The last remaining “blank spots” on the map are set to disappear with the comprehensive expansion of the fibre-optic network in the coming years. 

The Smart Systems Campus and the Technology Campus provide 30 hectares of space for new ideas. The links to the nearby university and the city centre foster networking between the scientific and business communities. In addition, Chemnitz offers attractive commercial premises both in the heart of the city and on the outskirts at extremely competitive prices.

Chemnitz is a great place to live and work: from the renovated art nouveau buildings to leisure areas such as Rabenstein on the city’s outskirts – affordable rents and ample housing provide plenty of space to make yourself feel at home. Especially for families. The city also offers its residents quality of life, with over 60 square metres of green space for every resident. Sports enthusiasts will find plenty to meet their liking in the swimming pools, ice rink, golf course, tennis courts, as well as more than 200 sports clubs. The city’s rich and diverse cultural scene is sure to inspire all art, theatre and music lovers.

What’s more, the Erzgebirge region – a UNESCO World Heritage Site forged by its unique mining tradition – is a paradise for hikers and winter sports enthusiasts right on the doorstep.

Chemnitz is going to be a European Capital of Culture in 2025! Under the banner of “C the unseen”, we will host our fellow Europeans with a varied programme in 2025 and discuss how we want to tackle the important issues we all face with the rest of Europe.

Over 90 million euros are being invested in the 2025 programme, urban development, infrastructure and tourism in order to create added value for Chemnitz and the entire cultural region.