www.glasgowchamberofcommerce.com 25


Stuart Patrick, Chief Executive, Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, and Christoph Irrgang, Deputy CEO, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Berlin, sign the Memorandum of Understanding watched by Sir Sebastian Wood, Britain’s Ambassador to Germany, Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs in the Scottish Government, and Jim McHarg, President, Glasgow Chamber of Commerce


The Berlin agreement came after


innovation, is a spectacular


triumph for all of Europe. So the signing


of a Memorandum of Understanding between Glasgow


Chamber of Commerce and IHK Berlin (Industrie und Handelskammer zu Berlin), the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Berlin (CCI Berlin), is a significant milestone. While Glasgow Chamber has also secured MoUs with Turin in Italy and Manhattan in New York City, the German deal opens up a very different kind of relationship between Scotland and Germany, especially in an uncertain post-Brexit era. Stuart Patrick, Glasgow Chamber


of Commerce Chief Executive, spoke about his excitement with this future engagement after initial exploratory meetings in Berlin in 2017. “I sensed a real openness with our


counterparts in Berlin. Of course, the creation of the European Championships, which are being shared between Glasgow and Berlin this August, has been a wonderful catalyst. But I also felt there was a willingness to listen to what we could offer Germany, especially those who want to come and visit Scotland. So, with our two cities joined by their mutual interest in promoting European sport, it seemed the perfect time to have this pro-active agreement in place,” he said. Berlin is hosting the athletics, while Glasgow hosts the aquatics, cycling, golf, gymnastics, rowing and triathlon events. In April 2018, Mr Patrick and Deputy


Chief Executive Richard Muir travelled to Berlin to reconnect with Berlin Chamber President Dr Beatrice Kram and Director General Jan Eder


and ratify the agreement. Their visit coincided with the launch of a trade and investment hub in Berlin set up by the Scottish Government. Berlin is now Europe’s second most populated city with over 3.7 million citizens and it has been swollen by an influx of migrants from around the world. It is number one in Germany in terms of workplace diversity and


With our two cities joined by their


mutual interest in promoting European sport, it seemed the perfect time to have this pro-active agreement in place”


opportunity for women and for foreign workers. It shares certain traits with Glasgow, including a young and well- educated workforce and it costs less to live there than in Munich, Hamburg or Frankfurt, although property prices have been rising sharply. It is home to SAP, one of Germany’s largest tech companies, but Google, Apple and Facebook and many other Silicon Valley firms also have offices in Berlin to mine the high number of emerging tech talent. It is among the fastest growing cities for start-ups in Europe with large amounts of backing from venture capital eager to find the next big thing.


Glasgow Chamber Chief Executive Stuart Patrick travelled to Nuremberg, in southern Germany, and where the Scottish Government signed a MoU with the Bavarian region. Jan Eder said: “It is not a novelty for a sporting event to become the spring board for further cooperation between peoples. Like the Greeks back in 776BC, Berlin and Glasgow jumped at the opportunity of a sporting event such as the European Championships to strengthen their ties.” “In times of Brexit it has become even more important to encourage bilateral collaboration on national and regional level, and very important on the level of metropolitan regions. The metropolitan Chambers are the right players to defy the negative consequences of this regrettable separation and to make a positive contribution in the months and years ahead.” He cited this as a reason why his Chamber was so keen to build its connections in Scotland. Mr Patrick was also very clear. “This agreement shows that we are on the front foot in maintaining business links with Europe and not sitting back and waiting for others to make decisions.” The CCI Berlin is a voice for many


companies, actively promoting Berlin as a place to do business. CCI Berlin is a powerful regional organisation and acts in the best interests of the business community, remaining independent of individual interests and party politics. The market-economy system


forms the basis of all its activities and it is a statutory obligation for companies to be Chamber members. The CCI Berlin campaigns for entrepreneurial freedom with increased help from the state and acts as an impartial market advocate promoting fair competition among businesses. It supports around 292,000 members through its services, training and apprenticeship programmes and other activities. The CCI Berlin replaces state administration, supporting the state by providing funding and organising public works itself, eg through vocational training and promotion of export. Some 3,500 voluntarily active businessmen and women in the plenary meeting, executive committee, boards and working parties as well as inspectors, assist the CCI‘s 200 employees. For Glasgow Chamber of


Commerce members, this is an exciting new era that can be exploited to grow business in the city. It gives companies a solid framework of live connections to work alongside some of the most innovative and exciting firms in northern Germany.


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