How Germany’s Top Tech Hub Helps Atlanta Companies Expand Into Europe

Editor’s note: This article is contributed by NRW.Global Business as part of its annual partnership with Global Atlanta. 

While many business leaders in the Southeast U.S. may be familiar with prominent German cities like Düsseldorf, Cologne or Bonn, fewer may recognize the name of the region where they are located, North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW).

Daniel Dueren, head of the region’s economic development office in Atlanta, aims to change that. 

With representatives in Atlanta, Chicago and the West Coast, NRW.Global Business supports U.S. companies investing in NRW, the most populous of Germany’s 16 states and a leading technology hub.  

Mr. Dueren focuses on assisting small- to medium-sized enterprises in the Southeast, leveraging his extensive business networks and Georgia’s tech ecosystem. 

“We recently supported companies like Rivian and Microsoft in expanding into our state. But our primary focus is on smaller, mid-sized companies here in the Southeastern United States because they need the connections and support,” Mr. Dueren says.  

“We really offer a soft landing spot for small businesses,” he asserts, explaining that his organization provides various business incorporation services in Germany, including assistance with selecting banks, making key hires and navigating the startup landscape in NRW. 

Building Bridges with Atlanta’s Tech Ecosystem

In his role, Mr. Dueren has cultivated partnerships with organizations like the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) at Georgia Institute of Technology, a business incubator that supports technology startups. These collaborations help identify and connect Georgia companies with opportunities in NRW.  

One success story is ReadyforSocial, an Atlanta-based startup that recently began expanding its operations in Düsseldorf. The company had already visited Germany and had begun to expand its customer base in the NRW region. But Mr. Dueren’s office in Atlanta is now helping ReadyforSocial to actively seek partnerships and resources in NRW and further its growth throughout Germany and Europe. 

Mr. Dueren facilitated ReadyforSocial’s visit to Startup Week in Düsseldorf in June, where ReadyforSocial CEO Sander Biehn learned more about raising capital in Europe. 

“I was blown away. The amount of innovation that is going on there, the amount of welcome that I received as an international business, people interested in helping me, introducing me to people, helping me find new talent to come work for the company,” Mr. Biehn comments. He adds that NRW put him in touch with an incubator and startup co-working space called K67 where ReadyforSocial is now operating in Düsseldorf. 

“Through the NRW.Global Business group, I’ve learned that I got lucky. That region [NRW] is an economic powerhouse inside of Germany and inside of the European Union,” Mr. Biehn notes.  

Strategic Advantage of NRW 

NRW is home to over 18 million people, more than 20% of Germany’s population, and the region generates 22 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), Mr. Dueren says. 

The region’s dense concentration of industries, including logistics, automotive, aerospace, biotech, medtech, greentech, fintech and emerging technologies like electric vehicles and hydrogen, makes it an attractive destination for U.S. companies looking to expand into Europe. 

“Our marketing slogan, ‘Europe’s Heartbeat,’ reflects NRW’s central role in European industry and innovation,” says Mr. Dueren, pointing to the state’s 800 billion EUR GDP and extensive network of research and development centers and universities. The region’s skilled workforce and advanced infrastructure position NRW as an ideal gateway for Southeast U.S. startups to enter the European market, he asserts. 

Mr. Biehn agrees. And he expects his relationship with NRW.Global Business to further ReadyforSocial’s success in Europe.  

Collaboration in Atlanta and Germany 

“As we grow and mature inside the German market, we’re expecting a lot of help from NRW.Global Business,” Mr. Biehn says. “We expect to give the State of North Rhine-Westphalia a lot of return in the form of new employees, more customers and a lot of revenue overseas.” 

Mr. Biehn relies on Mr. Dueren’s office to help the company find new space, partners and legal and accounting help in NRW, plus assistance vis-a-vis the German government.   

“I see this as being something that’s going to be a very big win, both for my company, ReadyforSocial, and for NRW,” Mr. Biehn says. 

Through NRW.Global Business, Atlanta companies also have access to the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Southern United States (GACC South).  

The chamber’s president and CEO, Matthias Hoffman, says that it’s an advantage for Georgia companies to have an NRW.Global Business office in Atlanta, where many of the chamber’s member companies hail from NRW. Small businesses can take advantage of chamber events like the annual German-American SME Business Development Conference to meet like-minded companies and learn more about the German market. 

The German chamber in Atlanta also collects data on trends in German market sentiment and regulations, which can provide insight for Georgia companies considering investing in NRW, Mr. Hoffman says.

Mr. Dueren is optimistic about the potential for Southeast U.S. companies to expand to NRW with his office’s tailored support. He cites an upcoming opportunity for Georgia companies to travel to Düsseldorf a day or two before or after the Medica 2024 trade show in November, where NRW.Global Business can introduce them to prospective German partners and regional resources. 

“We are here to build the bridge between the United States and North Rhine Westphalia,” says Mr. Dueren. “Since NRW.Global Business is state-funded, every service we offer is free of charge. Just give me a call, send me an email, and I’m happy to support you in any shape or form, that’s my promise.” 

For more information on how NRW.Global Business can support your company’s expansion into Germany, visit www.nrwglobalbusiness.com or contact Mr. Dueren at (229) 460-6104 or daniel@nrwglobalbusiness-usa.com.