Developing the economy
So, you want to locate your company in Bochum or enlarge your existing company, relocate or modernise, save resources, optimize processes, found a start-up, apply for funding, find networks and get comprehensive advice as well? Then you’ll be looking for a skilful partner to help you with all this. That’s where we come in.
We create opportunities and have lots of space, we open doors for you and arrange contacts, we produce ideas, develop concepts and help start-ups. We put our heart and soul into helping you and we’ll never let you down. We at the Bochum Office of Economic Development will support you with our know-how and our passion. Your success is very close to our hearts.
Our service is to develop a resilient economy for Bochum, an economy that is courageous, flexible, and adaptable. We support the startup scene, enhancing technology networks and operate innovation centers to booster existing and new ecosystems. We are committed to Bochum as a strong business location.
As Bochum Economic Development, we connect companies, startups, investors and project developers. We open doors, create prospects and implement innovative concepts for relocation and space development. As the number one parking garage operator, we ensure accessibility of the city centre and are a strong partner for sustainable district development.
Why Bochum? Because!
Location. Location. Location.
Bochum is right in the middle of it all - in the middle of Germany, in the middle of NRW and in the middle of the Ruhr Region. Bochum’s companies benefit from this in many ways: the markets are huge, the connections are fast and the networks are effective.
Companies
More than 15,000 other firms are already based here, so you are certainly in great company in Bochum. Large corporations as well as small and medium-sized companies - they all appreciate Bochum’s excellent conditions for production, services, retail and small businesses and skilled trades.
Universities
Bochum is a City of Science. The Ruhr University and six other universities make up the “UniverCity”, strengthening research and development for the companies here. Scientific know-how at the cutting edge: in Bochum of course!
Students
More than 56,000 students make use of the lecture-theatres, seminar rooms, libraries and canteens at Bochum’s universities. Your benefit: the graduates of today are the successful managers of tomorrow.
The real estate
Commercial sites and premises don’t have to cost the world. Entrepreneurs are delighted to find a large selection of attractive sites and properties in very good locations. For sale or to let. We’ve certainly got plenty of room for innovation and growth.
Lots of green
Have you heard about how green the Ruhr Region is? 40% of the City of Bochum is made up of green spaces! And that means lots of room and opportunities for recreation and leisure activities. On foot, by bike or even by boat.
Culture
From Bochum’s Schauspielhaus theatre and several independent theatres to a musical on roller skates, from Bochum’s Jahrhunderthalle to the RuhrCongress Centre: culture is everywhere in Bochum.
Venues for your events
Bochum’s central location makes it easy to get to from all points of the compass so it’s ideal for meetings, conferences and congresses. Venues like the Jahrhunderthalle Bochum or the RuhrCongress Centre have already made a name for themselves as popular places for communicating and meeting people and they attract visitors from well beyond the region’s borders.
Home
This is somewhere you and your family can call home. Bochum has affordable housing near the city centre, but with plenty of peace and quiet. There are lots of day-care centres, schools and sports clubs for the kids. Bochum’s Music School is one of the most respected in NRW. Family-friendly structures, great public transport and fantastic shopping centres – for example at the RuhrPark – all make Bochum a lovable and liveable place to live.
Bochum at a Glance
Have a look at our Factsheets on Bochum and her locational advatages. From healthcare to erergy efficiency - Bochum has a lot to offer.
5m People. 53 Cities. 1 Metropolis.
The Metropolis Ruhr
This is the City of Cities: home to more than five million people, covering an area of 3,900 square kilometres and one of three large metropolises in Europe. Did you know that 155,000 companies generate an annual turnover of 353 billion euros here and the purchasing power per inhabitant is higher than that of Berlin? Did you also know that we have the world’s biggest inland port here? That our theatres are internationally celebrated? And that there are more universities here than in any other German city?
More information:
www.metropole.ruhr/en
We care about your objectives
Bochum Economic Development is the one-stop shop for business matters
We will give you the right space for your investments.
Real estate in Bochum.
Are you looking for a plot or premises? And somewhere that is easy to access? Or something close to Bochum’s universities? Would you like sector-related neighbours so you can benefit from cooperations and synergies? Is your company bursting at the seams and needing more space? Or would you prefer to lease your new premises? However special your requirements might be, we are sure to find a suitable solution. Our settlement concepts are bound to convince you!
Competence for companies.
Bochum for companies.
Would you like to modernise, enlarge or relocate your company? Do you have an innovative idea you would like to turn into reality? Would you like to know how to get the right financing? Do you need more space, a new plot or new premises? Are you desperate to find the right staff? Then we can help you with all these aspects of developing your company; we are a helpful guide and skilful consultant, a reliable organizer and loyal partner. We will supply the ingredients for your success!
A plan for success.
Bochum for start-ups.
Do you have a great idea you want to turn into a business? Do you need some solid financial advice? Do you need a guide? Are you looking for an affordable location for your start-up? Would you benefit from discussing things with other founders? If you answer yes to any of the above, then it’s time to talk to us.
Space for your start-up
Attractive locations for your new company
Energy Efficiency Centre Bochum (EEZ)
The Energy Efficiency Centre offers offices and workshops for companies and start-ups in the future-oriented field of energy efficiency in Bochum-Gerthe.
Your contact partner: Christof Weiser
BioMedizinZentrum (BMZ)
Office and laboratory space for companies in the biomedicine, biotechnology and medical technology sector in close proximity to the Ruhr-University campus.
Your contact partner: Christof Weiser
Kulturwerk Lothringen (KWL)
Spaces of different sizes are available in Bochum Gerthe for companies related to media and the arts, to the photography/ film/video/TV sector, the music business and culture management.
Your contact partner: Christof Weiser
Technology and Founders Centre Wattenscheid (TGW)
An ideal location for innovative companies offering services to businesses is to be found at the TGW.
Your contact partner: Christof Weiser
Centre for IT Security in the Technology Quarter
The centre in Bochum Querenburg provides excellent conditions for IT companies thanks to its flexible space concept. A multi-level security concept protects your company’s sensitive data.
Your contact partner: Christof Weiser
Technologiezentrum Ruhr (TZR)
Particularly attractive for young, technology-oriented companies and right on the Ruhr-University campus.
Prefer letting to buying?
If you would prefer – either for the short or long term – to let rather than buy your company’s new premises, then speak to us. Because Bochum has a large stock of letting properties for a wide range of uses. Let us know what you are looking for and we will find the right solution for you!
Whether you just need a small office for a start-up, a large workshop or a production hall, we will arrange premises to meet your needs. In the Energy Efficiency Centre in Gerthe-Süd for example, we have premises ranging between 19 and 280 square metres. Or if you are looking for the complete individual solution? Then tell us exactly what you need and we will develop a suitable property on the basis of your requirements. The advantage for you is that your capital commitment can be particularly low. This is also the way the Centre for IT Security was set up, guaranteeing the highest levels of flexibility and security.
For young companies in particular, it really makes sense to share high cost facilities with other companies in the same field. In such cases we create the background conditions and the infrastructure, just like we have done in the BioMedizinZentrum at the Ruhr-University campus, where several companies share the clean room facilities.
Ruhr-University Bochum
People-friendly – cosmopolitan – high performance: this is the Ruhr-University Bochum. 20 faculties are home to 5,600 members of staff and 42,500 students from all over the world.
The RUB is well on its way to becoming one of the leading European universities of the 21st century. Well-connected both within the faculties and subjects as well as nationally and internationally, this is where the next generation of scientists finds the ideal conditions for intensive, modern studying. And by the way: the RUB’s support programmes are second to none, as is their student-friendly infrastructure!
Bochum University of Applied Sciences
With its more than 6,000 students and around 450 members of staff, Bochum University of Applied Sciences is the largest university of applied sciences in the Central Ruhr Region.
The Bochum University of Applied Sciences’ profile is characterized by its key specializations: business studies and engineering (electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, mechatronics), and civil engineering (architecture, construction engineering, geodesy). 26 bachelor and eleven masters courses form the basis of the innovative overall concept. At the new Velbert/Heiligenhaus campus they also run dual bachelor/apprentice engineering courses. The Solarcar-Project run by and with students is well-known and respected throughout the world.
Healthcare University of Applied Sciences - Hochschule für Gesundheit
A real pioneer: when it was founded in 2009, the Healthcare University was the first of its kind in Germany. And it certainly sets the benchmarks on the Bochum Healthcare Campus.
The dual qualifications it offers in ergo-therapy, midwifery, speech therapy, nursing and physiotherapy are really innovative as well. In addition to graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree the students also take the state-recognized professional exams in their vocational field. The latest new courses at the hsg are in Healthcare and Diversity as well as in Healthcare-oriented Social Space Design. Other bachelor and masters programmes are currently at the planning stage.
Technical University of Applied Sciences Georg Agricola
Since 1816, the Technical University of Applied Sciences Georg Agricola has been preparing students for their professional future.
Mining has been a focus of research in the past, today Bochum's oldest University of Applied Sciences puts its emphasis on modern areas like applied material sciences, machine engineering, electrical engineering and information technology or geological engineering and post-mining studies. All study contents are closely coordinated with the industry. Most subjects can be studied fulltime or in part-time degree courses. The advantage: Studies with a practical orientation and optimal supervision instead of crowded lecture halls.
Protestant University of Applied Science Rheinland-Westfalen-Lippe
The Evangelische Fachhochschule RWL has 2,400 students, making it the largest protestant university of applied science in Germany.
Important factors here include ethical thinking and personal development. The bachelor and masters courses prepare students for professions in social and healthcare services, education and church-based diaconate work. There is a special focus on practice-oriented dialogue between theology and social sciences, aesthetic education, inclusion and interculturalism. The EFH RWL is well connected in the region and also cooperates internationally with several other universities.
EBZ Business School
As a university of applied sciences, the EBZ Business School focuses on methodological competence, small learning groups and on providing individual support for students.
The EBZ Business School courses are tailored to the needs of students who would like to attain a university degree while they are working. The lecturers, most of whom have business backgrounds, guarantee the courses are of practical relevance. The main emphasis is on sector-independent courses such as business administration, but there is also a focus on the housing and real estate business.
Folkwang University of the Arts
The Folkwang idea: to combine music, theatre and academic study under one roof. The roof in this case is the Ruhr Region, and two of the arts and campuses have their homes in Bochum.
The Folkwang Theatre Centre, very close to the city centre, provides a lively environment for degree courses in acting and directing – and, by the way, for decades it has been renowned as one of the best addresses in Germany for up-and-coming stage actors to learn their craft. In the year 2014 the Institute for Popular Music also opened its doors in Bochum with a masters course in pop music – and that really is unique in Germany!
A city which has everything
Voices from Bochum
Bochum has great potential as a location for companies in the field of electro-mobility. Above all because there are so many specialists and graduates in Bochum who are right at the cutting edge in our field.
We make full use of the close interaction between the business and scientific communities to increase our innovative strengths. Since the year 2001, we have been working in close cooperation with the Ruhr-University and the Bochum University of Applied Sciences, so it is no coincidence that we located our company right next door.
Bochum’s reputation as a city of knowledge has become recognized well beyond our regional borders. It is precisely this transfer between the worlds of science and business that is so exciting and important for the future of our city.
