Location
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Bochum
Bochum: future at the heart of the Ruhr district
Bochum, the heart of the central Ruhr district, is home to over 375,000 people. The sixth largest city in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the leading role in the economy is now occupied by the service sector. In addition to Opel and the Knappschaft-Bahn-See insurance company, major employers include the universities and colleges. Around 6,000 people are employed here in science, research and administration. The universities and the technology centres adjacent to them characterise the city of Bochum today. With this, the city has successfully completed the transition to a modern knowledge society.A high-tech industry location
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The educational landscape in Bochum is acclaimed throughout Germany. The internationally renowned Ruhr University of Bochum and Bochum's four universities of applied sciences have provided a wide range of impulses for the establishment and development of technology-oriented companies. The Technologiezentrum Ruhr technology centre (TZR), the Technology Quarter and the new Ruhr BioMedicinePark in close vicinity to Bochum's universities and the Technology and Start-up Centre Wattenscheid are attractive locations with choice commercial properties.
Education and research
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With over 40,000 students, Bochum is one of NRW's leading higher education centres. In addition to an extensive range of courses offered by the Ruhr University of Bochum, which counts among Germany's largest universities, four institutes of higher education offer practice-oriented courses – Bochum University of Applied Sciences, the Rheinland-Westfalen-Lippe University of Applied Sciences, the Georg Agricola University of Applied Sciences and the Federal University of Applied Administrative Sciences. In addition, acting courses are offered at the Folkwang University of Applied Sciences. The launch of the Trade Education Centre in Bochum, the European Education, Research and Information Centre of the Housing and Property Industry, the Centre of Audio-Visual Media Technology (ZAM), and the Training Centre of the District Craft Trades has added to a future-oriented focus in the sectors of science and education.
Developments in economy
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The settling of the headquarters of a number of major companies (such as Deutsche BP, mg technologies/GEA) in Bochum documents Bochum's increasingly significant role in the Metropole Ruhr. To develop additional growth markets and promote Bochum's position on the global market, the city has launched its Bochum 2015 initiative to take on the challenge of the increasingly fierce competition with other locations. As part of the Bochum 2015 initiative, a joint campaign by Bochum-based companies in collaboration with major Bochum institutions, such as the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) in the central Ruhr district, the Ruhr University of Bochum, the Human Resources Administration and trade union representatives, will develop and implement special projects to support Bochum's growth sectors. These sectors include the health sector/medical technology, software/IT, engineering, vehicle construction/traffic engineering and creative industries.
Leisure, sports, recreation
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Bochum's wide range of sports and leisure activities includes 440 sports clubs, a large number of private leisure facilities, extensive parks and green spaces (40% of the city's area), and a variety of local recreation areas, including Lake Kemnade with its sailing and boat racing facilities, a golf course and the inner city Stadtpark.
Arts and culture
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Bochum plays a central role in the Ruhr district and offers an extensive and diverse range of activities in the art and cultural sectors. Bochum's Schauspielhaus, which is one of the best theatres in Germany, symphonic orchestra, the Starlight Express musical – the world’s most successful musical, the German Mining Museum, Bochum Railway Museum, the Zeiss Planetarium Bochum and the Jahrhunderthalle, venue of the RuhrTriennale theatre festival, are popular among visitors and press from all over Germany. For this reason, the nomination of the city of Essen as a representative of the whole Ruhr district as the European Capital of Culture 2010 is an endorsement of the region's diverse cultural landscape. Since September 2006 the cultural centre Kulturwerk Lothringen has provided architecturally appealing studio units and work space for start-ups in the creative sector.
Central location
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Bochum is located at the hub of Europe's most closely-knit motorway network, with direct access to motorways in both the north-south and east-west directions. The international Cologne/Bonn and Düsseldorf airports are only a 60-/45-minute drive away, and the regional airport in Dortmund can be reached by car in 20 minutes. Bochum central station offers excellent regional connections, with 372 regional train services every day. Daily ICE, IC and EC services link the city to all major economic centres in Germany and its neighbouring countries. A dense public transport network of underground railways, trams and busses covers the whole Bochum area.
Bochum – well worth a visit
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The tourism sector has continued to gain importance in Bochum in recent years. The musical Starlight Express and a wide range of trade fairs and conventions at the international-standard RuhrCongress centre, completed in 2002, have increased the number of overnight stays by an average of 10% every year.