About us – Bremeninvest
Your service provider for trade and industry in Bremen – a one-stop shop for business
Remit of Bremeninvest
Bremeninvest brings Bremen's quality of life and economic appeal to the attention of business and research communities in Germany and abroad.
The Bremeninvest team is committed to helping you with all matters related to your company's development. We provide uncomplicated, expert advice on relocations, property searches and innovation projects and we know how to get things done. We act as an interface between business, research and public authorities and we always find the best solution – for you and your company.
For Diversity, Equal Opportunity and Inclusion
Bremeninvest (a brand of WFB) has a corporate culture that is based on everyone treating each other fairly, working together as partners within the company, and interacting with our customers, clients and partner organisations in a respectful, equitable manner.
We treat everyone in the same way and do not discriminate against anyone on the grounds of their ethnic origin, gender, religion, disability, age or sexuality. For this reason, we are actively engaged in inclusion and giving everyone equal opportunities. We reject every form of discrimination.
Diversity management and inclusion have been core elements of our human resources policies for many years. Our management teams and colleagues receive regular training in these topics. Every employee is jointly responsible for consistently calling out any form of discrimination and bullying. Our "Fair geht vor" ("Fairness first") company-wide policies defining mandatory in-house regulations and preventive measures, signed in 2017, clearly set out our position. Our "Inklusion für gleichgestellte und schwerbehinderte Menschen" (Inclusion for people with severe disabilities or those with an equivalent status) company policy, signed in 2018, set out how we will employ, promote and support people with disabilities. At Bremeninvest, we attach great importance to working with people with disabilities. This is why our inclusivity policy, which came into force in 2007, requires that people with severe disabilities make up at least six percent of our workforce. We have exceeded this quota.
Our diversity management policies also include providing support for our employees, to ensure that they have an equitable work/life balance. This includes having flexible, mobile working time models, providing help with childcare and opportunities for working at home for family reasons (company policy from 2015). We also regularly hold in-house seminars and programs of talks about every aspect of caring for dependants, healthcare management and resilience. Since 2008, Bremeninvest/the WFB has regularly been awarded "berufundfamilie" (employment and family) certification in recognition of our family-conscious policies.
Bremeninvest/The WFB is also a long-standing member of the association responsible for awarding the Bremen Diversity prize. This association is a consortium of Bremen-based companies and institutions, based in Bremen, which promote diversity issues and provide strategic and financial support for this prize.
High-quality vocational training is a key strength of the German economy. It can be provided as part of a traditional apprenticeship in a recognised trade or in combination with a university degree. We make our contribution to this important component of the economy and society by training the skilled workers of tomorrow. For various occupations, we offer apprenticeship places and options for combining vocational training with study at a university. Internships are also available in various departments of Bremeninvest.
The division Economic development and administrative services consists of four departments: Real Estate & Construction, Corporate Services/Commercial Space, Acquisition and Projects and Commercial Services, and three staff units: Corporate Communications, Legal Services/Investments and Auditing.
The core day-to-day activities in the economic development division encompass sales and business services, innovation support, land development, high rise construction and real estate. For example, the division develops and markets industrial estates on behalf of the regional government, including the Technology Park at the University of Bremen or Bremen Airport-City close to the city's airport. The regeneration of Überseestadt (New Harbour District) is also attracting attention from all over Germany. Bremeninvest also manages around 100 municipally owned properties and sites.
Providing support for companies that are already based in Bremen and attracting new ones to invest in the city are two of the division's main responsibilities. It also implements various funding programmes, supports the Bremen region's innovation cluster and manages the Bremen technology and start-up centres.
The administrative services department is responsible for functions such as HR management/organisation, accounting, finance, IT organisation and HR for the company as a whole.
Support departments
The support departments responsible for law and equity investments, internal audit and procurement support functions and for corporate communications form part of the division and report directly to the CEO.
The Marketing and Tourism business unit is made up of three departments: Bremen Marketing, Bremen Online and Bremen Tourismus. It is responsible for brand design, brand architecture and the brand communications strategy.
The marketing department (Bremen Marketing)
The marketing department promotes Bremen as an exciting place to visit and as a hub for science and commerce. It provides funding for cultural and sporting events and promotes cycling tourism in Bremen.
The department also provides services to other business units and subsidiaries of Bremeninvest and functions as a marketing and advertising agency for the Senate departments. It acts as an internal agency to assist the business units and the subsidiary BAB (Bremer Aufbau-Bank GmbH) – the development bank for Bremen and Bremerhaven – with marketing their products and services.
The department is also in charge of print production and promoting Bremen in public advertising spaces. It provides funding for cultural and sporting events of national importance.
The Bremen Online department
The Bremen Online department develops and maintains the websites bremen.de and bremen-tourismus.de, the official social media channels of the Federal State of Bremen and the ‘Schwarzes Brett’ small ads. It makes key information for residents, visitors and other interested parties available in the latest formats and actively communicates with users. The department is fully up to date with the latest online trends and technologies. It also supports Bremeninvest’s online sales and marketing activities and delivers projects for Bremeninvest itself and other public sector organisations.
The tourism department (Bremen Tourismus)
The tourism department is responsible for promoting tourism to Bremen in Germany, Europe and around the world. This includes services in Bremen for day visitors and visitors staying overnight, and for delegates at conferences and conventions in partnership with the Bremen Convention Bureau and the service for businesses, associations and tourism companies. The department also supports the Federal State of Bremen’s tourist information office and its 500 tourism service providers.
Oliver Rau
Marketing and Tourism Division
Managing Director
+49 (0) 421 9600-220
In addition to its divisions, Bremeninvest has various subsidiaries and equity investments for structural, political and strategic reasons. It also exercises shareholder functions in companies on a fiduciary basis on behalf of the Bremen region. Bremen's development bank (Bremer Aufbau-Bank-GmbH) and the H.A.G.E. Grunstücksverwaltungsgesellschaft are among its most important subsidiaries. Information about all other companies and the respective shareholdings can be downloaded here.
A selection of companies and the respective shareholdings:
- Bremer Aufbau-Bank GmbH (100%)
- Bremerhavener Innovations- und Gründerzentrum (BRIG) GmbH (48,01%)
- GVZ Entwicklungs-Gesellschaft Bremen GmbH (26.47%)
Supervisory Board members for 2022:
- Senatorin Kristina Vogt
The Senator for Economy, Labour and Europe (chairwoman) - Staatsrätin Gabriele Nießen
State Councillor for the Senator for Climate Protection, Environment, Mobility, Urban Development and Housing - Staatsrat Tim Cordßen-Ryglewski
State Councillor for the Senator for Science and Ports - Melf Grantz
Mayor of Bremerhaven - Staatsrat Dr. Martin Hagen
State Councillor for the Senator for Finance - Dr. Ralph Baumheier
Abteilungsleiter in der Senatskanzlei - Janina Marahrens-Hashagen
Vice-President of the Bremen Chamber of Commerce - IHK for Bremen and Bremerhaven, Managing Partner / CEO of H. Marahrens GmbH Schiffs- und Sicherheitsbeschilderung - Thomas Kurzke
President of the Bremen Chamber of Skilled Trades, CEO Kurzke GmbH & Co. Malereibetrieb KG - Marc Bernhard
Chairman of the Works Council and Bremeninvest employee (vice chairman) - Christina Schmidt-Bohlmann
WFB/Bremeninvest employee - Dana Beckmann
WFB/Bremeninvest employee - Ray Ivens
WFB/Bremeninvest employee
