Dan welcomes a guest post on his blog from Paul Heardman, HM Consul-General, Munich
What comes to mind when you think of Munich? Beer, BMW, and Bratwurst perhaps?
Munich is a city that certainly understands how to showcase its proud local culture and traditions.
So it is fitting that Munich has a vibrant, flourishing city twinning partnership with Edinburgh - with links between the cities going back to before the First World War.
We brought a touch of Edinburgh flair to Munich this week as we helped mark the Diamond Jubilee of the two cities’ official partnership, launched back in 1954.
These 60th anniversary celebrations took centre stage at our Queen’s Birthday Party in Munich, with the Consulate’s 400 assembled guests enjoying a taste of Scotland – right in the heart of Bavaria.
Alongside a traditional piper, we promoted some of Scotland’s finest food and drink - Hendricks Gin, distilled in Girvan, and salmon from Creelers, Arran. Both were great hits with our German guests.
The highpoint of the event was a personal message from Her Majesty The Queen, who said she was “delighted” we were celebrating this 60th anniversary of the Edinburgh-Munich partnership.
Her Majesty’s message noted that
“The friendship between these two great cities over the last 60 years has done much to deepen the bonds between the UK and Germany at many levels”.
That is certainly true. Our annual Queen’s Birthday Party is a great occasion to showcase what Scotland has to offer Germany, and to underline our historic ties, when it comes to promoting Scotland in Germany. And this is something we do throughout the year.
Scotland and Bavaria have a strong partnership going back many decades, which the British Consulate in Munich regularly helps promote.
Our Scottish whisky tasting events in Munich – and indeed across Germany - are always much in demand. Germany is currently Scottish whisky’s fifth biggest export market worldwide – our aim is to help get it into the top 3!
We are also bringing Edinburgh business leaders to Munich to share best practice. Over half of Munich’s GDP comes from exporting. So there is plenty we can learn from the Bavarian experience, particularly in building up our own export-oriented Medium Sized Businesses, like the famous German Mittelstand. This is something our Trade Minister Lord Livingstone is supporting strongly.
Overall, Germany is our second largest export market. Bavaria alone has a G20 size economy - and is booming economically. So there are great opportunities here for Scottish companies – whether in food and drink, energy, life sciences, financial services, tourism or beyond.
UKTI can provide expert advice on cracking the German market. For Scottish firms, we are able to offer the best of both worlds – local help from Scottish Development International and the extensive reach of our overseas network.
UK Trade & Investment has three posts in Germany – Berlin, Munich and Duesseldorf, as well as access to our Honorary Consuls and the British Chamber of Commerce network right across Germany.
Globally, UKTI has offices in 169 locations. So we can offer that in-market expertise which can make all the difference for Scottish companies looking to land contracts.
Each year, UKTI assists almost 2,000 Scottish firms and helps to land three quarters of the inward investment projects that generate 13,500 jobs in Scotland.
Local connections always matter. So the Edinburgh-Munich friendship is a great asset. Next year sees the sixtieth anniversary of the partnership between Aberdeen and Regensburg. Glasgow and Nuremberg also have strong links.
So all of this is a great base to build from, as we have shown this week in promoting Scotland in Munich. If you’re interested in exploring the German market, our UKTI team stands ready to help.
The beer and the Bratwurst may not be quite as good for the waistline as fine Scottish salmon. But there are great business opportunities for Scottish companies here. So come and take a look.