Core sectors

The economy in the district of Anhalt-Bitterfeld stands on a robust, successful and innovative foundation. It is traditionally known as a chemical region as well as the home of well-known metal processing and mechanical engineering companies. Nowadays, it hosts many branches of industrial, handicraft and agricultural value creation, the service industry and also serves as a tourist attraction.

Numerous established and newly settled companies, including some industry-specific technology leaders, offer a large number of secure jobs and are the reason for the extraordinarily high industrial density in Anhalt-Bitterfeld. The key sectors serve as a platform for innovative products and services from the district of Anhalt-Bitterfeld. They are strongly networked with each other. Development and research facilities add to the effectiveness of the industries. For details, please refer to our information on the innovation location.

Chemistry/Pharmacy/Plastics

The rural district of Anhalt-Bitterfeld is a long-established location for innovative activities in the chemical industry. In the Bitterfeld-Wolfen Chemical Park, products for global markets are manufactured on 1,200 hectares by approximately 80 manufacturing companies, 40 of which are active in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.  One of the largest chemical sites in Europe is distinguished by its composite materials for raw materials such as chlorine, caustic soda, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen chloride. This allows synergy effects to be used in the most efficient way. A total of about 12,000 people are employed here in about 300 companies.
Plastics and plastic products are researched, developed and newly launched on the market at various locations in the rural district. In Anhalt-Bitterfeld, the innovative sector comprises of basic research and extends to the large-scale serial production of highly complex plastic products.

Metal processing/mechanical engineering

In Anhalt-Bitterfeld, these industries have over 150 years of experience and an excellent reputation as highly reliable and innovative partners. The following products, most of which are tailor-made, originate from the high-tech development and production facilities and are used all over the world:

• Harbour, container, shipyard, dock, cargo handling and storage cranes
• Transport and lifting technology
• Plants for the production of steam, heat and electricity
• Precision and machine tools for the solar, pharmaceutical, chemical and processing industries
• Precision components for the automotive industry
• Special machines for high precision manufacturing processes
• metal materials
• Light metal casting
• Powder Metallurgy

Logistics

Production also entails transport and distribution. That is not the only reason why the logistics industry is particularly strong in this sector.

The district is highly valued as a hub and transshipment centre for trade giants owing to its location in Central Germany and its excellent transport connections. Not only fast distribution possibilities within Germany, but also the good accessibility of European and worldwide partners speak for the district of Anhalt-Bitterfeld as a strong logistics location.
When? - Where to? - How much? - How resource-friendly is it?
Logistics experts in Anhalt-Bitterfeld have all the right answers!

Food industry/agriculture

On approx. 91,000 hectares in Anhalt-Bitterfeld, state-of-the-art agriculture is practiced on large fields with high efficiency. The primary production of cereals, potatoes, apples, asparagus, sugar beets, hops, energy crops and animal products is seamlessly followed by processing and refinement and trade. In the process, region typical products are created from local raw materials.
The strong network of the food and agriculture sector does more than just translate into food trade. Energy production from biomass also plays an important role. Local machine manufacturers have all the right solutions for agricultural machinery and plant technology.