Some 2.7 million people live in the region Stuttgart, 1.4 million work here. Around 160,000 firms earn 93 billion euros annually - in young startups and traditional, medium-sized enterprises, in small family businesses and world-famous concerns.

In particular, the automobile and mechanical engineering industries, electronics and electrical engineering, but also creative industries, are the most important sectors in the economy of the Stuttgart region. These and famous companies from other branches are renowned all over the world: HP, Alcatel-Lucent, IBM Germany, Agilent Technologies, Trumpf, Stihl, Dürr, Kärcher, Lapp, Festo, WMF, Märklin, Leitz, Ritter Sport, to name just a few.

Bahnhoftsturm Neues Schloss Schlossplatz Fernsehturm Porsche Museum		Research and development play a particularly important role in the region. With 6% of the GDP invested in research and development and 24 % of the work force employed in hi-tech jobs, the Stuttgart region leads the field in Germany in this respect. The close cooperation between commerce and science in these fields promotes the development of successful new technologies and products.  Economic and scientific strength, paired with a great diversity of cultural, leisure and recreational activities, make Stuttgart an ideal and inspiring event location. Stuttgart cultivates its lively art and culture scene, impresses with masterpieces of historic and modern architecture, stages international sporting events, hosts merry festivals and colourful markets, offers world-class shopping facilities and lots of other interesting activities besides. Stuttgart, winner of the award for the “City with the highest quality of life”, combines urbane joie-de-vivre with cosy hospitality, and an innovative and dynamic economy with a high recreational value. Architectural highlights and out-of-the-ordinary museums form a unique ensemble in Stuttgart. The “Culture Mile” includes the historic Old and the post modern New State Gallery, the impressive tower of the College of Music and the Performing Arts, with its collection of organs, and the House of History. The glass cube of the New Museum of Art provides both fascinating insights into the municipal art collections and wonderful views over the heart of the city.  Cradle of mobility.... this is where one of the very first automobiles was jointly designed in a little workshop by Wilhelm Maybach and Gottlieb Daimler, and where today two of the world's most outstanding automobile museums are to be found. And here, too, is where the main production plants of both Mercedes-Benz and Porsche are located, and where the people feel a close bond with the history and traditions of these two global concerns. And within the bold architecture and sophisticated ambience of the new Porsche Museum, the Zuffenhausen sports car producers present their legendary automobile icons. Urbane flair and green oases provide charming contrasts in Stuttgart. Wide expanses of parkland right in the heart of the city and idyllic vineyards directly opposite the main railway station provide quiet and relaxation. The Killesberg Park and the Wilhelma, the only zoological and botanical gardens of their kind worldwide, invite visitors to relax and explore. For wellness and health enthusiasts there are three mineral baths, fed by the most prolific mineral springs in Western Europe. www.stuttgart-tourist.de http://www.stuttgart.de