Magdeburg - the green Cathedral City on the banks of the river Elbe is the capital of Saxony-Anhalt. It is also the centre of a thriving business region which looks back on a long industrial history and has a population of around 230 000. Magdeburg is highly ranked among German cities due to its competitive labour costs – nowhere else in Germany can companies have access to such a highly qualified work force at reasonable wage rates. The city's scientific map as of today is determined by the Otto von Guericke University and the University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg Stendal offering well-established study programmes as well as business-related research including knowledge and technology transfer. More than 1400ha of commercial and industrial areas are available in the city at most favourable conditions. Magdeburg offers multi-modal transport solutions and is particularly well-connected to the main traffic arteries when it comes to moving bulk commodities in Europe.