1. Creating strong ties together The Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region

2. For further information visit www.m-r-n.com 3 Home to 2.4 million people The Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region Hesse Rhineland- Palatinate Baden-Württemberg

3. For further information visit www.m-r-n.com 5 Powerful and highly dynamic industry location Economy Gross domestic product: 78.2 billion euros (2011; Slovakia: 69 billion euros) Unemployment rate: 5.1% (Nationwide: 6.5%) 146,000 companies Export quota in manufacturing industry: 57% (Nationwide: 40%) Excellent accessibility by: Road (eight highways) Rail (high-speed train and freight hubs Mannheim) Air (quick connections to international airports Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden) Waterway (port center Mannheim-Ludwigshafen)

4. For further information visit www.m-r-n.com 7 Powerful and highly dynamic industry location Economy Information technology © SAP Machine and plant engineering © Heideldruck Biotech and Life Sciences © Roche Industry Focus Areas Cema Realtech SAP SAS SHE SNP and others Alstom Bilfinger Caterpillar Heidelberger Druckmaschinen KSB and others AbbVie Gelita Octapharma Roche Sanofi Pasteur MSD Siemens Sirona and others

5. Automotive © Daimler Chemistry © BASF Energy and environment © MVV For further information visit www.m-r-n.com 8 Powerful and highly dynamic industry location Economy Industry Focus Areas Bombardier Daimler Eberspächer John Deere Tenneco and others BASF Fuchs Petrolub Freudenberg ICL Odenwald-Chemie Raschig RheinChemie and others ABB EnBW AG MVV Energie Pfalzwerke Saint-Gobain Isover and others

6. For further information visit www.m-r-n.com 10 Well of creativity and technology Science 22 universities, a total of 95,000 students (thereof 10% from other countries) Over 40 non-university and international research institutions 2% employed in research & development (Nationwide: 1%) © MBS Economics Mannheim Business School University of Mannheim Centre for European Economic Research © Uni-Mannheim Humanities The University for Jewish Studies Institute for German Language The Max Planck Society University of Mannheim Heidelberg University © Uni-Heidelberg Social Sciences Wahlen Research Group Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences The Mannheim Centre for European Social Research Heidelberg University University of Mannheim © BASF SE German Cancer Research Center European Molecular Biology Laboratory Hochschule Mannheim ‒ University of Applied Sciences Three Max Planck Societies Heidelberg University Natural Sciences

7. For further information visit www.m-r-n.com 11 Well of creativity and technology Science Biotechnology © MRN GmbH Organic Electronics © Merck Medical Technolgy © HS Mannheim Examples for business and science cooperations Cluster BioRN AbbVie DKFZ EMBL Hochschule Mannheim ‒ University of Applied Sciences Merck Roche Heidelberg University Heidelberg University Hospital and others Cluster InnovationLab BASF Freudenberg Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Merck Roche SAP University of Mannheim Heidelberg University and others Centre for Biomedicine and Medical Technology Fraunhofer IPA Freudenberg Roche Siemens Sirona Hochschule Mannheim ‒ University of Applied Sciences Heidelberg University and others

8. Energy storage systems © MRN GmbH Chemistry © BASF Music and creative industries © MRN GmbH For further information visit www.m-r-n.com 12 Well of creativity and technology Science Examples for business and science cooperations Cluster StoREgio ABB Ads tec BASF Fraunhofer IESE HSE KIT MVV Energie Pfalzwerke and others CaRLa – Catalysis Research Laboratory BASF Heidelberg University and others Music industry Cluster Musikpark Mannheim Popakademie Mannheim City of Mannheim and others Lubricants © Fuchs Petrolub SE Competence Center Tribology Hochschule Mannheim ‒ University of Applied Sciences Rhine-Neckar Chamber of Inudstry and Commerce (IHK Rhein-Neckar) Fuchs Petrolub SE and others

9. For further information visit www.m-r-n.com 14 Region of recreation and enjoyment Quality of life © MRN GmbH More than 150 castles, palaces and sacred buildings, such as: The electoral residential palaces in Heidelberg, Mannheim and Schwetzingen Hambach Castle (picture) © Nibelungenfestspiele Worms Over 100 theaters and cabarets (including the oldest municipal theater in the world: NTM Mannheim) 15 top festivals of international renown, such as: - Internationale Schiller days - Nibelungen festival (picture) - Heidelberg castle festival © MRN GmbH Kunsthalle Mannheim Nibelungen Museum in Worms Reiss-Engelhorn Museums Mannheim Technik Museums in Speyer and Sinsheim Wilhelm Hack Museum Ludwigshafen (picture) and others © MRN GmbH Speyer Cathedral (picture) The Abbey of Lorsch The Upper German-Raetian Limes Castles and palaces Theaters and festivalsUNESCO World Heritage sites Museums

10. For further information visit www.m-r-n.com 15 Region of recreation and enjoyment Quality of life © MRN GmbH Rhein-Neckar-Löwen (picture) Handball premier league 1899 Hoffenheim Football premier league (Bundesliga) Adler Mannheim German ice hockey league German Touring Car Championship (DTM) and Formula 1 at Hockenheim Ring © MRN GmbH © Rheinland-Pfalz Tourismus GmbH UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and Palatinate Forest Nature Park (picture) Nature Park Neckartal-Odenwald UNESCO Geopark Bergstraße- Odenwald 38% forest area (Germany: 30%) From the cozy wine tavern to the Michelin-starred dining experience Four wine-growing districts (Baden, Hessische Bergstraße, Palatinate, Rhine-Hessen) 16 Michelin stars Over 40 restaurants currently awared at least one "chef's hat" by Gault Millau Top-class sportsNature experience A paradise for gourmets Almost every second resident is involved in volunteer work (only every third person nationwide) Surpassing number of foundations Germany‘s largest volunteer day Lots of non-profit associations (e.g. 2,700 sports clubs) Citizens are committed

11. For further information visit www.m-r-n.com 16 The challenges we face The Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region Rise of public debt Tough competition for investments and public funds Aging society Shortage of skilled labor Growing importance of an attractive environment for companies and people Dwindling resources and growing energy costs

12. The institutions of the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region encourage the dialogue between important regional players and pool their strengths in different projects. The common goal: Ensure the region’s future as a location that is attractive, worth living in and economically strong. For further information visit www.m-r-n.com 17 An alliance of strong partners Joint regional development Turn global challenges into opportunities Position the region in the competition between regions Develop the region through effective cooperation > … support regional initiatives … trigger joint activities … make the region known … form alliances Zukunft Metropolregion Rhein-Neckar Association, the Rhine- Neckar Regional Association and Metropolregion Rhein-Neckar GmbH …

13. For further information visit www.m-r-n.com 18 Scope of work Regional planning and joint regional development E-Government Volunteer work Culture Energy Lobbying Demographic change Business Development Sports PR and Marketing Recruiting skilled employees Spatial planning Health

14. For further information visit www.m-r-n.com 19 Strong partners in regional development Financing of the regional development work PartnersSponsors Chambers of skilled crafts: Mannheim Rhine-Neckar-Odenwald, Rhine-Main Chambers of Commerce and Industry: Rhine-Neckar, the Palatinate, Darmstadt

15. For further information visit www.m-r-n.com 20 Business, Science and Politics in Dialogue Strategic dialogue in the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region Matthias Wilkes District Administrator Bergstraße District Luka Mucic Member of the Executive Board SAP SE Albrecht Hornbach Chief Executive Officer Hornbach Holding Willi Kuhn President Chamber of Industry and Commerce Palatinate Dr. Peter Kurz Lord Mayor City of Mannheim Dr. Eva Lohse Lord Mayor City of Ludwigshafen Dr. Georg Müller Chief Executive Officer MVV Energie AG Bert Siegelmann Managing Director Rhein-Neckar Television Margret Suckale Member of the Executive Board BASF SE Prof. Dr. Bernhard Eitel Rector Heidelberg University Dr. Gerhard Vogel President Chamber of Industry and Commerce Rhine-Neckar Theo Wieder Lord Mayor City of Frankenthal Dr. Eckart Würzner Lord Mayor City of Heidelberg Matthias Baaß Mayor City of Viernheim Theresia Riedmaier District Administrator Südliche Weinstraße District Honorary chairman: Dr. h. c. Eggert Voscherau Joachim Müller Member of Executive Board Bilfinger SE The association

16. For further information visit www.m-r-n.com 21 Work and life in balance! The Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region © Rheinland-Pfalz Tourismus GmbH People feel good. © MRN GmbH Business and Science develop future-oriented products together. © MRN GmbH Citizens are tolerant and collectively committed. © SAP Companies have high innovation and growth potential.... relaxing and stimulating... creative and curious... economically leading... hands-on and committed