According to a study currently being conducted by the Center for European Economic Research (Zentrum für europäische Wirtschaftsforschung = ZEW) in Mannheim in collaboration with Microsoft, Bavaria ranks in the top league for high-tech start-ups. Bavaria’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Martin Zeil, was delighted at this result: “The current ZEW Study once again shows that Bavaria is the leading location for new high-tech business in Germany. As we can see, Bavarian policy for high-tech start-ups is paying off.”

Bavaria comes first not only in its start-up intensity in technology-based services and the software sector. The ZEW Study reveals that in the last few years Bavaria has moved up from third to first place in research- oriented industries as well. While other German states have seen a fall in the number of high-tech start-ups, they have remained more or less constant in Bavaria. Zeil commented: “We must not slacken our efforts to promote start-ups in the high-tech sector. Our work in this field is producing companies that are expanding at an exceptionally fast rate and also creating an exceptionally large number of jobs.”

The Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs supports high-tech start-ups with, for example, its business plan competitions in Northern and Southern Bavaria aimed at corporate planning and financing as well as by means of targeted funding programs, incubators and investment capital through Bayern Kapital GmbH. “Thanks to its future-oriented technology policy, Bavaria has an excellent research infrastructure and many successful, innovative companies. Under our BayernFIT program, we provide 1.5 billion euros for innovation and education”, Zeil said.

The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.

ESA is an international organisation with 18 Member States. By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, it can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country.

ESA’s job is to draw up the European space programme and carry it through. ESA's programmes are designed to find out more about Earth, its immediate space environment, our Solar System and the Universe, as well as to develop satellite-based technologies and services, and to promote European industries. ESA also works closely with space organisations outside Europe.

DLR is Germany's national research centre for aeronautics and space. Its extensive research and development work in aeronautics, space, transportation and energy is integrated into national and international cooperative ventures. As Germany's Space Agency, the German federal government has given DLR responsibility for the forward planning and implementation of the German space programme as well as international representation of Germany's interests.

Aeronautics and space make substantial contributions to the way we live today. Aviation guarantees our global mobility and satellites enable worldwide communication. Remote sensing generates data about our environment, while the exploration of space leads to new knowledge about the origin and development of the Solar System, its planets, and, hence, about the creation of life.

Moreover, key industries, including materials technology, medicine and software engineering, all profit from innovations made by DLR in the fields of aeronautics and space.

With 1,515 employees and 78 offices, Kreissparkasse München Starnberg is a strong and reliable partner to its customers, serving them "with ideas and commitment". We offer the entire range of financial services with expert, friendly advice. As a bank deeply rooted in the region, being close to our customers is a big part of our business philosophy. Personal contact is important to us and we never forget that people are the reason we are here. With this kind of thinking, it's only natural that we are involved in supporting community and cultural facilities.