Frankfurt am Main: Business

TOP-Location in the Heart of Europe

Frankfurt am Main is the centre of one of the most efficient and dynamic regions in the heart of Europe - Frankfurt Rhine-Main.
It has an impressive range of top companies from the world of business and finance. Around 660,000 people live and 591,000 people work within the city zone, 4.9 million people live in the region. About 320,000 companies in the region contribute 186.7 billion euros to annual GDP and have a workforce of 2.7 million people. A productive environment with its international mix of industries, companies of all sizes flourish, from big industrial groups to small software developers.

Germany’s Premier Financial Centre

For this there are three main reasons: both the European Central Bank and the German Federal Bank are based in Frankfurt; the city has a long history as a banking, stock market and trade fair centre; and, finally, it is located very centrally - both in terms of Europe and Germany. As a result, the city has excellent transport links with an international airport, the biggest train station in Europe and a major junction on the extensive European motorway network.

The German Stock Exchange

Around 90 percent of Germany’s entire stock trading takes place here. Since the introduction of the electronic trading system Xetra in 1997, floor trading has largely been replaced by electronic trading. Today, around 85 percent of Germany’s total share transactions are carried out using this computerised system. Up to 30 billion euros pass through Xetra and the Frankfurt stock exchange each day. Around 450 banks and financial service providers from 18 different countries are connected to Xetra, trading stock, options, investment funds and annuities via data lines. Around 5,700 German and foreign businesses are quoted on the Frankfurt exchange.

Exhibition & Advertising Centre

In addition to the banks, numerous large and small businesses contribute to Frankfurt’s status as a services centre. The Messe Frankfurt exhibition grounds are the third biggest worldwide by providing 578,000 square metres of exhibition space, nine exhibition halls and the nearby Congress Centre. With its multiplicity of communications businesses, Frankfurt is one of Germany’s biggest advertising centres. With areas like public relations, advertising, market research and sales development, this industry comprises one of the fastest growing business sectors. A large proportion of the slogans we see and hear every day was devised by the creative thinkers of Frankfurt.