Bavaria opens representation in Israel

As of 1 January 2009, the State of Bavaria will be opening a representative office in Ramat Gan in Israel. Bavaria’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Emilia Müller, expressed her satisfaction with this latest addition: "Israel is our third most important trading partner in the Middle East. One of Israel’s particularly strong points is the dynamic development of its high-tech sector. I therefore see great opportunities for our Bavarian companies to work together with Israeli high-tech companies in the fields of research and innovation". She added that, with Godel Rosenberg, Bavaria had found an extremely experienced personality with an excellent network of contacts in both states for the position of Bavarian representative. Up until the end of 2007, he had been the longstanding representative of a major German automobile manufacturer in Israel.

In future, the new representative office will bring Bavarian and Israeli entrepreneurs even closer together. "The potential for exports and cooperation between Bavaria and Israel is far from being exploited. The representation will have the task of passing on information and arranging contacts for any interested Bavarian and Israeli companies. It will be the first contact address for queries about economic matters especially for small and medium-sized enterprises", Müller added.

 According to the Minister, Israel was an attractive trading partner for Bavaria. "While Israel’s Number 1 exports used to be agricultural products, like Jaffa oranges for example, the lion’s share of Israeli industrial exports now comes from the high-tech sector. High-technology will in future remain the most important segment for foreign partners wishing to invest in Israel and work together with Israeli companies", Müller continued. In the early 1990s, the high-tech sector became the engine driving growth in Israel and with an annual rate of growth in real terms of around 5.2 to 5.3 % between 2004 and 2007 it helped the Israeli economy to develop at an extremely dynamic pace.

In its efforts to place its knowledge-based industries on an even broader footing, Israel was, in Müller’s view, particularly interested in such forward-looking markets as environmental and water engineering or solar energy. But despite its highly developed fields of research, the country was still dependent on strategic partners to open up the global market. Müller: "This means there are plenty of opportunities especially for companies from the innovative technology location of Bavaria to not only enhance their existing business relations with Israel, but also launch new cooperation projects".

For years, Israel has consistently been Bavaria’s third most important trading partner in the Middle East. In 2007, the volume of trade came to EUR 684 million, with Bavaria recording a slight trade deficit. While Bavarian exports were 3.4% up on the previous year, imports into Bavaria soared by nearly 40% from EUR 210 to 293 million.

Bavaria currently has 20 foreign representative offices, including ones in the USA, China, Japan, India, Brazil, Mexico and several countries of Eastern Europe. In the Middle East, a representation was opened at the end of 2006 in Abu Dhabi.

Source: Invest in Bavaria

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