Germany: Berlin in autumn - Duncan Osborne

Berlin in autumn

We are sat having breakfast with friends in one of Berlin’s many fashionable cafe’s which is exotically deck out with every kind of cheese, meets, breads and fruits you could wish for.

My enthused German friend has just returned from a successful three week business trip to Hong Kong and we are discussing his next trip to Dubai from where he will then travel on to Osaka to review one of his business opportunities for 2011...it seems to me that the crisis doesn’t seem to have affected him.

Berlin, of which much has been written, is one of those places that either instantly captures your attention or it doesn’t....I came here with a group of likeminded souls in 1994 and I’ve been coming back ever since...in fact I have made the place my home.

It seems to me that Berlin still carries with it a sense of the exotic and a charm that has remained here within its soul ever since the early twenties.

The city has witnessed much anger and distress...although now it is learning to once again be proud of its of history, heritage and to take its place in today’s markets: in September this year Berlin announced a 12% increase in visitor numbers compared with the same period last year... the city seems to me to be crisis friendly too.

Today my group is marking the demise of another wonderful summer of beer gardens, street cafe’s, theatres, song and music – but, we are also celebrating the anniversary of the wall coming down and the reunification of this great city: within such a short space of time the city has grown from one of division and distrust to one of future partnerships and healthy growth: it still however has to decided if it wants a new international airport...they appear to be still arguing.

I am constantly being reminded that there are more bridges here than in Vienna and the wild boar make a fortnightly appearance in the forest over the road from our apartment.

It is a city which is friendly to the car driver, with wide avenues populated with hundreds upon hundreds of Lime and Basswood trees that line the many famous grassed pedestrian Malls and boulevards – but Berlin also has one of the best public transport systems I have come into contact with...it ranks, I believe higher than the famous MRT in Singapore.

Everyone here lives in an apartment; it is part of the Bohemia culture and one for investors to remember...much more of that later; I will let you know about the literally hundreds of assortment of beer wine and the varied festivals the city hosts.

During the past 18 months the world has seen a remarkable change to the global economy which has presented a number of challenges to business across many disciplines. Germany, I am pleased to report, has reacted positively with a number of programmes and incentives; including a firm belief in being able to manage their own destinies; created new opportunities’ for business leaders willing to invest in this very positive of peoples.

In Britain, we are feed with reports that it is totally un-German to look at the future with any of positive step, however when Angela Merkel took over the country in 2005 it was still unsure of how it was to work with one another (East & West Germany). Now they believe in her dream, particularly since she has been given a mandate to take them forward again over the next four years. Last week’s election success has been a remarkable vote of confidence in her abilities: even Ernst & Young’s European Attractiveness Survey (not my first thought of a name) put Germany as Europe's most attractive business locations – they even had Germany top the rankings of all European countries based on its ability to overcome the economic downturn too...last year’s outgoing disastrous Bush regime must now only dream of her success.

Berlin is city of many faces...you are just as likely to hear Italian and Russian as you are German and English. Apartment prices are half they are in Munich – and Banks are positively assisting foreign business leaders.

We are looking forward to this Autumn, as we are 2010 and the World Cup...who knows maybe we will all meet in the finals and repeat 66...we can but dream.

Duncan Osborne

Duncan is Director at Osborne Radloff Associates. In 2006 he decided to base his operations in Berlin.